FSMS students get glimpse of engineering

Saturday, February 25, 2012
Students in Stephanie Grantham's technology class at Fort Scott Middle School work on projects and experiments during a Friday visit by 3M engineers.

In celebration of National Engineers Week, Fort Scott Middle School hosted two engineers from the 3M manufacturing facility in Nevada, Mo., on Friday.

Product engineer John Nelson and systems engineer Justin Wittock spent the day overseeing various experiments and projects with Stephanie Grantham's technology course. The pair visited with six different classes throughout the day on Friday.

"It (the engineer visits) introduces them to the field," Grantham said. "A lot of kids don't know what an engineer does."

Nelson and Wittock began the presentation with a series of slides explaining 3M's functions as a facility. As a global corporation, 3M facilities are located in more than 60 countries worldwide and employ more than 600,000. The one million square-foot Nevada, Mo., plant alone employs more than 600 people. In conjunction with the background information, the presentation explains the work their professional engineers do producing everything from large scale jumbo jets to signs and the education needed to do so.

"Everything you see in front of you has been engineered and every company has engineers," Nelson said. "It's important because there is a shortage of engineers in college and in the work force."

3M initiated the visits to FSMS about 10 years ago and Grantham said the kids look forward to them -- and their experiments -- every year.

Previous projects 3M engineers have done with students include constructing parachutes and homemade bridges and towers. This year, students put together mini roller-coasters using foam tubing and masking tape.

Eighth-grader Philip Moran said he enjoyed the visit, not only for the experiments, but because that's what he eventually wants to pursue as a career.

"I want to be an electrical engineer," Moran said, "mainly because I love technology."

Wittock said it's easy to recognize which kids could end up in his field. Some students are really into it and others aren't, he said, but all are actively involved.

"Some kids really stand out with creativity and a lot of them don't need guidance from any of us," Wittock said. "It makes me smile. We're making them think out of the box."

In recognition of National Engineers Week, Feb. 19-25, 3M engineers will visit more than a dozen schools in Kansas and Missouri.

Officially recognized in 1951, National Engineers Week always falls in February in conjunction with President George Washington's birthday. Washington was considered the nation's first engineer.

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