The event will make use of two standards simulation exercises that are designed to gain a better understanding of what standards are and how they are developed through consensus-building processes. The facilitator will be Professor Lee Vinsel of the Stevens Institute of Technology.
The first exercise, "Personal Space," will set participants in groups to develop a standard that measures the distance between one person and another. The second exercise, "The Sky is the Limit," is a role-playing simulation focused on the commoditization of a new invention, the flying car. This exercise will focus on the conceptual differences between prescriptive standards, design standards, and performance standards, and will explore the relationship between standardization and innovation.
Attendance at the event is limited to students or new professionals who have been involved in standardization work for five or fewer years. Because of the interactive nature of the event, only a small number of registrations will be accepted; attendees are asked to be mindful of the space limitation and only sign up if they are current students or are new to the standardization field.
"This event is a great opportunity to learn more about standards and the standardization community. And by co-locating the simulation with World Standards Week, students and young, emerging professionals will have a great opportunity to meet people and learn even more," said Monte Bogatz of the IAPMO Group, chair of the ANSI Committee on Education. "Even those of you who have been part of the community for a long time have something to gain - bring your new employees to World Standards Week so they can be part of this free training workshop, and then throughout the week they will have many opportunities for greater exposure and hands-on learning."
The event is scheduled for 9 am to 3 pm on Wednesday, September 30, and will take place at King & Spalding (1700 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 200, Washington, DC 20006). Please note that all participants are required to arrive on time and stay for the full length of the simulation. Participants are also invited to attend a special orientation session at 4 pm on Tuesday, September 29, to be followed by participation in the Standards and the Service Economy reception at 5 pm. The Tuesday events will be held at the FHI 360 Conference Center (1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20009).
To sign up for this event, please contact the ANSI Committee on Education (CoE) via Lisa Rajchel ([email protected]), the Secretariat to ANSI CoE.
The September 30 simulation event will mark the fourth time ANSI has brought students and emerging professionals together for this type of collaborative workshop. Other events have included a May 2015 event at the Rochester Institute of Technology, a November 2013 event at the City University of New York, and an October 2012 event as part of that year's World Standards Week.