As part of its ongoing effort to inspire and educate future generations of STEM and standardization professionals about the significance of standards, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) will return as an exhibitor at the 2018 USA Science & Engineering Festival on April 7-8, in Washington, D.C. The free event at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center will feature over 1,000 leading STEM organizations that will showcase hands-on science and engineering activities for people of all ages.
ANSI's exhibit theme, "Standards Are Everywhere," will demonstrate how standards help support nearly everything kids take part in and rely on every day - from electronics, cell phones, and educational products, to our entertainment, sports, music, toys, and games. The showcase will feature interactive elements for students to see how standards impact specific parts of their lifestyle, with hands-on examples in entertainment, sports, and even their school locker, with fun giveaways, flyers, and posters. ANSI developed its exhibit theme and materials through the support of the ANSI Committee on Education (CoE) and the U.S. National Committee (USNC) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) Communications and Continuing Education Committee.
In partnership with nine of its member organizations, ANSI will encourage festival attendees to take part in the "U.S. Standardization System Passport" activity. Kids will be provided with a paper "passport" for collecting stamps from each of the ten organizations' festival booths. The first 500 who visit all 10 and return the filled passport to ANSI's booth will win a $10 Target gift card. The public- and private-sector organizations partnering with ANSI in this activity are:
- ANSI
- Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
- National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS)
- American Institute of Architects (AIA)
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
- National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO)
- U.S. Department of State
- American Petroleum Institute (API)
- Lockheed Martin
ANSI is a third-time participant at the USA Science & Engineering Festival [see previous coverage], which is a national grassroots effort to advance STEM education and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. The event's exhibitors, performers, speakers, partners, sponsors, and advisors are a "who's who" of science and engineering in the United States: from major academic centers and leading research institutes and government agencies to cutting-edge high tech companies, museums and community organizations.
ANSI regularly contributes to such educational efforts to foster the next generation of professionals, as standards are closely tied to STEM careers. The USA Science & Engineering festival and related STEM educational events are essential to educate students, as 60 percent of U.S. employers report difficulties in finding qualified workers to fill vacancies at their companies, even though STEM jobs pay a 10 percent higher wage than jobs with similar educational requirements, the STEM Education Coalition reports.
For attendance and exhibitor information, visit the 2018 USA Science & Engineering Festival website or view the official flyer.Further details on ANSI's educational initiatives for the K-12 population are available at www.ansi.org/students.