E-Week celebrates all things engineering

Each year, Engineers Week, or E-Week, celebrates all aspects of engineering, highlighting the many contributions engineers make to our society and hopefully inspiring young people to consider a career in engineering.

This year, E-Week will be held Feb. 22 to 28. A variety of Corridor events will be held this winter and spring, promoting many facets of engineering. For more information on careers in engineering, go to www.discovere.org.

Explore STEM Science through Nature

• Saturday, Feb. 21, 1 to 3 p.m.
• Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids

Families are invited to visit the Nature Center for an afternoon of STEM science activities. Employ your designing, measuring and calculating skills as you create a critter that can survive under specific conditions; do some maple math; find solutions to community development challenges and explore water conservation issues. Cost is $5 per family. Register at www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org or call (319) 362-0664.

Science Center E-Week Kickoff

• Sunday, Feb. 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• NewBo City Market, 1100 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids

Engineers Week is Feb. 22 to 28 and the Science Center invites families to participate in a fun day of free activities. Kids can participate in a make-and-take activity, building a blinking robot pin or join in a Lego build.

STEM Festival

• Tuesday, Feb. 24, 4 to 8 p.m.
• Cedar Rapids Public Library, 450 Fifth Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

The event will feature science experiments and at least 20 exhibitors, including Rockwell Collins, the University of Iowa College of Engineering, Kirkwood Community College Continuing Education and Metro High School in Cedar Rapids. A robotics competition will be held at the library entrance. Students also can learn to code through CoderDoJo, a club for coding for kids ages 5 to 17. Students and community members from all area school districts can attend. Call Tara Troester at (319) 558-1222 for more information. To register as an exhibitor or to reserve a display table, visit https://www.sorme.com/zrg7r

41st Annual Career Guidance Conference

• Wednesday, Feb. 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Hotel at Kirkwood Conference Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids

Hundreds of high school students meet with and learn from area engineers about careers in engineering. The event includes displays, breakout sessions, hands-on demonstrations, lunch and one-on-one discussions with engineers. Any high school students who have an interest in pursuing a degree and career in engineering are invited to attend and can register through their high school math or science department.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day 

• Thursday, Feb. 26
• Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids

Eighth-grade girls tour Rockwell Collins, listen to speakers and do a hands-on engineering activity during this annual event. By invitation only.

Maple Syrup from Your Backyard Maple Tree

• Saturday, Feb. 28, 1 to 2:15 p.m.
• Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids

Learn how to harvest maple sap and make syrup. Each family receives a spile for tapping their tree and handouts on how to collect and boil sap for syrup. Making maple syrup is a great heritage and STEM science activity for kids. The cost is $12 to $16 per family. Register at www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org or call (319) 362-0664.

Rockwell Engineering Day

• Saturday, Feb. 28, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Iowa Children's Museum, Coral Ridge Mall, 1451 Coral Ridge Ave., Coralville

Join engineers from Rockwell Collins as they share activities and experiments throughout the museum. Free admission.

First Tech Challenge Iowa Championship

• Friday, March 6, and Saturday, March 7
• Coralville Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 300 E. Ninth St., Coralville

Teams of high school students design, build and program robots, then pit them against each other in head-to-head competition. Learn more at www.engineering.uiowa.edu/ess/future-students/k-12/first-tech-challenge

Global Marathon

• March 9 to 11
• Anywhere with Internet access

This 'virtual town square' of webcasts aims to unite women in engineering and technology around the world. Find a schedule of events at www.discovere.org/our-programs/global-marathon

Eastern Iowa Science & Engineering Fair

• Saturday, March 21
• Lindale Mall, 4444 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids

View exhibits from area students as they compete to win trophies, scholarships and a trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh in May. Deadline to enter is March 2. Find a full schedule online at www.eisef.org

Iowa Science Olympiad

• Saturday, April 18, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Coe College — Peterson Hall and Eby Fieldhouse, Cedar Rapids

See teams of middle and high school students compete in a series of hands-on, interactive events in disciplines like engineering, earth science and chemistry. The winning team advances to the National Science Olympiad tournament. Learn more at www.coe.edu/iowa-science-olympiad

Corridor Canstruction

• Saturday, April 18
• Lindale Mall, 4444 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids

Teams of architects and engineers, as well as student, community and youth groups, design and build structures using cans of food. Teams build from 7 to 11 a.m.; the awards ceremony is scheduled for noon. The structures will remain on display through April 26. At the close of the exhibition, all the food is donated to HACAP. Deadline to register a team is March 27. Learn more at http://cedar rapids.canstruction.org/

Mini Maker Faire

• Saturday, May 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cedar Rapids Science Center, 705 N. Center Pt. Rd., Cedar Rapids

Maker Faire is a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. The faire is a place where people show what they are making and share what they are learning. It's free to attend the event and explore Maker exhibits. If you are a Maker and interested in sharing your work with the public, please contact the Science Center at (319) 363-STEM (7836) or go to www.makerfairecedarrapids.com.