The Society of Manufacturing Engineers

Engineer-in-the-Classroom is a program administered by the local Education-to-Careers office which promotes Engineering as a career to area Elementary, Middle School, and High School students. This is done at the Elementary level by putting an engineer in fifth grade classrooms with a curriculum designed to educate students about what engineers do, how engineering is involved in everyday life, and what education requirements are needed to become an engineer. The students and engineer also build a Rube Goldberg device designed to perform a simple operation in as many steps as possible. The object this year was to drop a golf ball, 18 inches into a 3 inch opening. The machines were taken to the Children's Museum of Decatur and on February 17, each group demonstrated its machine to four judges and many spectators. The judges then awarded prizes to the top four devices. The pictures on the following pages show several of the machines the students built.

On the Junior High and High School level, a similar program was initiated this year, the difference being that the devices could be more elaborate and use power sources, and that each engineer was a consultant to the teacher and students, rather than being the driving force behind the program. The object this year was to select, wash, and peel an apple. The competition at this level was held at Hickory Point Mall on February 24.

This was the second year for the program at the fifth grade level and the first year at the older levels. Chapter 58 members have been heavily involved in the program at both levels. Those participating this year as Engineers-in-the-Classroom were Adam McReynolds (both levels), and Ron Fishel, Bob Hauskins, Bob Seider, and John Zulauf (fifth grade level). Those participating as judges were Dick Hauffe (both levels), Dennis Eastman (fifth grade level), and Ron Harrelson Or. high/high school level). Larry Warfield also served as part of the Board of Directors of the program.