From Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Sao Paulo, Brazil, employees across Rockwell Collins are celebrating Engineers Week (EWeek) by volunteering for and engaging in hands-on activities that inspire students to become the next generation of innovators.

EWeek, which runs Feb. 19-25, is celebrated in an effort to promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education among students and raise public understanding and appreciation of engineers’ contributions to society.

At Rockwell Collins, EWeek encompasses a wide range of events and activities. Introduce a Girl to Engineering days at several U.S. facilities are focused on raising awareness and understanding of engineering among middle school girls. Additionally, employees visit classrooms and use outreach kits to teach students about engineering principles.

According to Kim Beals, a senior community relations specialist, this year marks the 10th year for Introduce a Girl to Engineering in Cedar Rapids and record participation in EWeek activities from across Rockwell Collins overall.

“We’ve never had this many locations organizing EWeek events,” said Beals, noting that EWeek is part of Rockwell Collins' year-round Engineering Experiences initiative. “We’re hoping employees around the world continue to get involved in EWeek and other STEM outreach activities.”

In addition to Cedar Rapids and São José dos Campos, employees in Tustin, Calif.; Melbourne, Fla.; Duluth, Ga.; Binghamton, N.Y.; Portland, Ore.; and Sterling, Va., are organizing Introduce a Girl to Engineering events, classroom visits, facility tours, community presentations and engineering challenges.

All of these activities require time and effort from volunteers. For employees like Dawn Charleston, a senior engineering manager in Sterling, volunteering for STEM activities like classroom visits is a “fun” way to get involved in their communities.

“I enjoy seeing the ‘Aha!’ moments when I’m helping students,” said Charleston, who also is helping organize an Introduce a Girl to Engineering event at the Sterling facility. “You can see the excitement on kids’ faces as they discover and see all the wonderful things they can do with STEM.”

To learn more about EWeek, visit eweek.org.