It’s time to celebrate engineering! This week – National Engineers Week (February 21-27) – is dedicated to fostering interest in engineering careers. Technical professionals today are in hot demand. Do you love to build, create, and solve problems? Check out our list of popular engineering, computing, and technology careers to see what kind of engineer you might like to be. 

The History of National Engineers Week

National Engineers Week was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. It falls on the birthday of U.S. President George Washington (born February 22). Not only was Washington the first president of the United States, he was also one of its first engineers. Long before he became president, Washington was a surveyor and military officer who made maps and surveys during the French and Indian Wars, a skill he also used as a farmer and businessman. Washington is also known for inventing the “drill plow,” a plow with a rotating barrel that distributed seeds. President Washington was a great advocate of engineering, which is why National Engineering Week is celebrated the week of his birthday. 

Boston Children’s Museum Offers Free E-Week Videos

To celebrate National Engineers Week, the Boston Children’s Museum is offering a free series of “E-Week” Youtube videos featuring interviews with engineers and engineering tutorials. This series is great for young students interested in learning engineering while stuck at home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The series includes: 

  • Interviews with real-life engineers who work in a number of fascinating technology fields.
  • Engineering activities: Each video features a museum employee who demonstrates how to create a variety of engineering projects.
  • Inspirational engineers: These videos feature interviews with engineers behind some of the world’s coolest inventions. 

Additionally, Discover Engineering is hosting a bunch of free interviews with real-life engineers from ExxonMobil, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and more.

How to Celebrate National Engineers Week

Looking for more active ways to celebrate National Engineers Week? You can be a virtual role model or share your ideas online. Another great way to celebrate National Engineers Week is to introduce a girl to engineering on February 25 (Girl Day). Explore IEEE TryEngineering’s database of lesson plans to teach engineering concepts to your students, aged 4 to 18. Explore areas such as lasers, LED lights, flight, smart buildings, and more through our activities. All lesson plans are provided by teachers like you and are peer-reviewed.