June, 2021
Summer Newsletter
IN THIS NEWSLETTER
Letter from the Director

Industry Opportunity | Resource for Hiring Students

Educator Opportunities:
  1. Pre-College Engineering Education Conference
  2. TeachEngineering Professional Development Workshops
Student Opportunities:
  1. Engineering Design Challenge Modules
  2. 4-H Engineering Design Challenge
  3. Explore STEM Day Camps @ MSU, Mankato

Occupations in Demand
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
The sun is out and I have been seeing lots of flowers blooming and garden shops bustling. It is a good time of the year!
We are excited to inform you that the Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence just completed our first Engineering Machine Design Championship and it was done virtually. This brought together over 70 middle and high school students from across the upper Midwest to compete in the creation of a complex machine using everyday items.

The students work in teams and explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematic principles while having fun in a collaborative environment. These students advanced from regional competitions held earlier this Spring. Our judges came from all across the state and were passionate about inspiring students in STEM. We are looking forward to the next year when we can come together and experience the excitement of these young people sharing their machine, knowledge, and teamwork experiences.
As the Engineering Center moves into the summer, it is time again to formulate our Engineering Center of Excellence Work Plan. Annually, we build a work plan explaining how we plan to address our overriding principles of engaging industry, enhancing education, and inspiring students. This is an important time because it allows us to do some self-reflection and strategic planning, just like many businesses have to do. In addition, this year was identifying our efforts to address Equity 2030, which is an over-arching Minnesota State initiative. We have taken a strategic approach for our Advisory Council to help shape our engineering and engineering technology programming with an equity “mindfulness”. This will be a new, innovative approach.

Soon we will be able to visit openly and freely. I like to think that the pressures we have faced over the past year have made us stronger and allowed us to appreciate our time together that much more. We look forward to continuing our outreach efforts of supporting the engineering and engineering technology workforce of tomorrow and we hope you will join us.

All the Best,
Jason Bruns
Director of the Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence
INDUSTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Handshake: Hiring Students
Are you seeking interns or student hires?

The Engineering Center of Excellence has recently added an Industry Resource link called Handshake - Hiring Students. Handshake is an employment (and internship) website for college and university students.

It is the primary employment website of 2,000 colleges and universities with over 8 million active student users. This is a common platform used within the Minnesota State System.

This resource is a way that the Engineering Center of Excellence is continuing to find ways to cultivate active learning environments including research, internships, capstone opportunities, and workforce placement.
EDUCATOR OPPORTUNITIES
Pre-College Engineering Education Conference | FREE REGISTRATION
2021 PCEE CONFERENCE
for P-12 Educators
Online, June 23 & 24, 2021

A virtual conference on engineering education brought to you by the ASEE Pre-College Engineering Education Division. The 2021 PCEE Conference will be virtual on two half-days, June 23 and 24, 2021.

Attendee registration is now open! Registration is FREE.
TeachEngineering Professional Development Workshops| VIRTUAL
Boost your PK-12 STEM power through TeachEngineering Professional Development workshops this summer! Learn to integrate engineering design into your STEM curriculum. Workshop topics include:

  • Integrating Engineering Design into Your PK-12 STEM Curriculum and making connections to NGSS science phenomena.

  • Engineering Prototyping and Pedagogy Skills and Tools for PK-12.
STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES
Engineering Design Challenge Modules | FREE ACCESS
Need a fun challenge this summer?!

The Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence, in collaboration with Minnesota 4-H, has developed a collection of Engineering Design Challenge Modules that are FREE to access and intended for a wide variety of audiences and settings. While completing the challenges, users will learn about relevant STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) principles.

Challenges:
  • Marble Run
  • Roller Coaster
  • Bridge Building
  • Balloon Zipline

AGE RANGE: 3rd grade and up – including adults!
AUDIENCE: Individuals, classrooms, families, groups of friends – anyone wanting to be challenged and have fun!
EXTRAS: Digital Badges, Certificates of Completion, and Educator Guide
4-H Engineering Design Challenge | REGISTER FOR FREE TODAY!
Calling all youth engineers! 4-H is Driving Change Through Transportation and you’re invited to join the trip. Help us drive change by participating in this year's challenge. Whether it’s getting food to people in need, or finding a better way for people to get from one place to another, we want to hear about your ideas. Join the challenge and make a difference today!

Designed for youth in grades 3 through 12, the Challenge helps youth develop communications, problem-solving, and creativity skills!

Sign-up to participate in the Challenge by Friday, June 18th.
Not a current 4-H member?
No problem, registering for Minnesota 4-H is free!
Explore STEM Days Camps @ MSU, Mankato | REGISTER TODAY!
The College of Science, Engineering, and Technology at Minnesota State Mankato will be hosting summer STEM camps for students entering grades 6th-9th.

2021 Camp Themes

Explore STEM | Ideation to Market
Youth will explore how to be an entrepreneur by using a product idea and taking it to market.

Explore STEM + Ag | Farm to Table 
Youth will explore ways in which agricultural engineers, food scientists, and animal caregivers work together to ensure the food product meets FDA standards.

Explore STEM Engineering | Artificial Intelligence in Engineering 
Youth will explore the use of artificial intelligence in engineering and the endless career possibilities in the field.
Workforce Development Scholarships
The Minnesota Legislature has provided funding for hundreds of $2,500 scholarships at the 37 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities in the high-demand fields of:

  • Advanced Manufacturing
  • Agriculture
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Health Care Services
  • Information Technology
  • Transportation

Eligibility:
  • Enrolled in high-demand occupation within an eligible program
  • 9 credits per term; 2.0 GPA, Minnesota resident
  • $1,250 award per term ($7,500 maximum over three years)
  • Preference for students in financial need
  • Adult students and third year transfer students to state university are eligible
OCCUPATIONS IN DEMAND
Occupations in Demand is generated by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and shows current career opportunities across the region. The Current Demand Indicator represents how favorable current demand conditions are for an occupation relative to other occupations in the same region. This data is calculated from the Job Vacancy Survey, Occupational Employment Statistics, and Unemployment Insurance claims.
To learn more about Engineering and Engineering Technology Occupations in Demand visit our Labor Market and Careers and Education resources.
Minnesota State Engineering Center of Excellence, a member of the Minnesota State system and an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer and educator.