SINGLE EVENT VOLUNTEERING REQUESTS

• December 11 | Volunteer Event: Jackson-Reed High School’s Annual Engineering Expo

Jackson Reed High School (a DC public school with an engineering academy) is seeking engineering professionals to review and give advice on school projects presented at their engineering expo (like a STEM fair) on December 11th.  Register to volunteer here.

The Community Outreach Committee invites you to share structural engineering principles with children in our community at the National Building Museum. They are looking for 5 volunteers for each event. You are welcome to bring your own kids, as long as they can help too!  Register here for the following events:

STEAM Saturday on January 10th from 1 pm – 3 pm

This free program would be in connection with the WAVE installation and include the spaghetti/marshmallow activity as well as an activity on long-form roofs and bridges.

Craft Workshop on January 24th from 10 am – 2 pm

During this free drop-in program, kids will build their own geodesic domes out of straws from provided kits. Any help would be appreciated! If you love putting together Ikea furniture, then this event is for you.

STEAM Saturday on February 14th from 1 pm – 3 pm

This free program would focus on engineering buildings that can resist “disasters”, such as activities focused on wind and earthquakes.

• Industry Advisory Boards (IAB) for local DC high schools, which are always looking for new members. Industry professionals are often asked to participate in career fairs, science fairs, job shadows, classroom presentations, or mock interviews in DC area schools that have a specific career focus. Each of the schools in DC’s CTE program has IAB’s and there is also a general IAB that oversees all of the schools. They currently have outstanding requests for Phelps ACE HS’s IAB as well as the general IAB that oversees all of the schools. 
• DC CTE Summer Internship program: This is a great opportunity for high school students who are enrolled in technically focused high schools to be exposed to the working world for about 20 hours a week for 6 weeks. The program doesn’t cost the host employer anything since the internships are fully paid for by Marion S Barry’s Summer Youth Employment Program.  Register as a host employer here by January 31st, 2026.
• The Advanced Internship Program (AIP) starts in November and goes through May for 8 hrs to 12 hours per week. Walter P Moore hosted one intern for the 24-25 school year through this program.
• Contact Horace.Robinson@dc.gov or osse.cte.ie@dc.gov if interested in any of the programs mentioned above.   
• You can find a full list of schools participating in the CTE (Career and Technical Education) programs here: https://dcpscte.org/schools/

• The District Architecture Center has a number of architecture programs for school students. https://dcarchcenter.org/programs/for-kids
• Contact Heidi Sohng hsohng@aiadc.com at the DAC for more information.

• ACE Mentor Program of the Greater Washington Metropolitan Area (ACE DC)
• The ACE Mentor Program has a mission to engage, excite, and enlighten high school students to pursue careers in architecture, engineering, and construction through mentoring and continued support for their advancement into the industry. The ACE DC Affiliate operates in 17 schools currently across DC, MD, and VA as a mostly after school program where the industry mentors conduct bi-weekly sessions at the schools to share ACE related careers, conduct hands-on activities with the students, and support them in completing a final project that they present at the regional competition each April or May. ACE DC also awards about $60k of scholarships annually to local students pursuing ACE related industries, including the trades.  Contact washingtondc@acementor.org for more information.
• You can find a list of schools with current programs here: https://www.acewashingtondc.org/school-sites

RESOURCES FOR STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING PRESENTATIONS TO STUDENTS

• NCSEA (National Council of Structural Engineering Associations) has published resources for student outreach.
• https://www.ncsea.com/career-growth/stem-outreach/