Behind the Scenes: Athletic Events

Registration is now open for the 30th annual National TEAMS Competition! This year high school students across the country will be challenged to go behind the scenes and discover the engineering involved in some of the largest athletic events, including the Olympic Games, World Series, and Super Bowl.

1932 was the first year that an Olympic Village could accommodate all the athletes, and since then villages have become a major hub of the Games. With an increasing need for security, transportation and traffic solutions, and energy efficient facilities to house all the athletes, the Olympic Village and other Olympic venues have relied on the work of engineers to solve some of the challenges that increase safety and quality of life. Additionally, with today's Games featuring 35 sports, a stark increase from the 9 events featured in the first Olympics back in 1896, there has been a drive to better an athlete's performance as competition has increased. The innovators behind these technological advancements, from the treatment of the ice along a speed skating track or luge course to the aerodynamic titanium of a golf club, have all been engineers!

TEAMS 2008 will ask students to look at these and other challenges of sporting events and as a team compile solutions to some of the issues facing event officials and engineers today, showing them the real-world applications of math and science and the important implications of engineering teamwork.

300 teams from over 130 schools from across the country have already registered to compete in this year's competition, vying for the ultimate cash prize of $5,000. While registration will continue through January, act now and secure your team's place at one of the 75 established host sites.

On your mark… get set… go!

Find the host site nearest you and Register now!

View this year's challenge scenarios

Learn more about TEAMS

2007-2008 National Engineering Design Challenge

High School Students Making a Difference!
www.jets.org/nedc

Congratulations to the 100 Round I Winning Teams!

One-hundred teams from seventy schools were selected by the NEDC Design Review Board to advance to Round II. JETS received over 260 Round I applications from more than 140 schools in 36 states, districts and territories. Click here to see a complete list of the winners.

The deadline to submit the Round II report is Monday, December 17th by 8pm EST. Teams will Complete Additional Research, Finalize Device Design, Construct a Prototype Device, Test the Device and submit a final report.

What is the NEDC? Teams of students will design an Assistive Technology (AT) device to help a person with a disability to perform or increase productivity in his or her job. Students will choose a scenario from two options and work with a person with a disability. Winning students have an opportunity to travel and win recognition for their creativity. The five top teams win an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, DC to present their designs and compete for prizes at the annual NEDC Finals Competition on February 15-16, 2008. The winning team receives $3,000 for their school's sponsoring department, plus a trip to the 2008 NISH National Training and Achievement Conference, May 4-6, 2008 in Los Angeles, CA. Two additional winning teams will be awarded $1,500 for their school's sponsoring department.

Students: Thinking about a career in engineering? Maybe you're thinking about getting a degree in chemical, electrical, mechanical, materials, or nuclear engineering. Did you know that with any of those degrees you can pursue a career in the power industry?

Now is a great time to consider a career that helps run the world! Power generation is the backbone of what makes our economy and society function. Electricity, in some way, impacts nearly every aspect of our lives. From our homes, our businesses, our cars, to our health and safety, our critical infrastructure requires a dependable and economic supply of electricity.

Quick Facts:

• Over the next 15 years, it is estimated that more than 300,000 people will retire from the power industry.
• The International Energy Agency estimates world electricity demand will double by 2030!
• The US Department of Energy projects national demand will increase 45% in 20 years.

JETS and Power Engineering Magazine are once again offering the Next Generation Scholarship to help make your pursuit of a power engineering career possible. This $5,000 academic scholarship is open to all currently enrolled United States 12th grade students. Students expressing an engineering career interest in the power industry and planning to enroll in a four-year engineering program should apply. Check the JETS web site soon for application details.

The Society of Fire Protection Engineers is partnering with Discovery Education to produce an in-school educational program entitled The Chemistry of Fire. In January 2008, The Chemistry of Fire will be distributed nationwide as a teacher's kit to all high school science department chairs in the United States. The kit seeks to teach the science behind fire as a way for students to fully understand the dangers of fire. Additionally, this increased awareness will encourage high school students to become America's future fire protection engineers. For more information go to: www.sfpe.org.