The Herff College of Engineering is committed to providing service and participating in community outreach activities.  Many of these outreach programs are aimed at inspiring pre-college students to pursue careers in engineering.  Recruiting the next generation of engineers at a young age is crucial to the future of engineering.  Some of the outreach programs that have been offered by the college include:

Canstruction® combines the competitive spirit of a design/build competition with a unique way to help feed hungry people.  Competing teams of high school students showcased their talents by designing sculptures made entirely out of canned foods.  At the conclusion of the exhibit, all of the food was donated to the Memphis Food Bank.

At the end of the 2008 competition, 11,041 lbs. of food and $1,000 was donated to the Food Bank.  This equates to a total of 25,038 pounds or 20,030 meals. See the 2008 Team Photos Here

Girls Experiencing Engineering (GEE) is a summer program designed to encourage more young women to become engineers, sponsored by the Women's Foundation for a Greater Memphis. Currently, women make up only 11 percent of the country's engineers and only 20 percent of undergraduate engineering students.

Through hands-on projects, middle- and high-school girls discover what engineers do and how skills like creative thinking, problem-solving and communication can contribute to their future success.  Practicing women engineers also participate in the program, sharing information about their educational paths and careers.

Girls In Manufacturing, now in its second year, is a summer program for high school girls, sponsored by grants from Carrier Corporation and Cargill, Inc. In a fun atmosphere, students learn about engineering, science and technology, and develop skills that can lead to success in careers where women are underrepresented.  Program highlights include a robotics competition, a field trip to a manufacturing facility, and daily guest speakers.  Participants also build their own manufactured product.

E-Day Open House is held each November on the Friday before Thanksgiving. During E-Day, the Herff College of Engineering opens its doors to middle and high school students and the community, where displays, demonstrations, lab tours, competitions and more reveal the wide world of engineering.

Make plans to join us for Engineering Open House E-Day 2008!

 Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics and Science.  The Herff College of Engineering is one of 100 colleges and universities nationwide that locally host this annual competition.  This fun and real-life engineering challenge for the adventurous is an annual, one-day competition where groups of high school students nationwide synthesize key concepts in math, science, and physics and apply them to solve real-world engineering problems.  Sponsored by the Junior Engineering Technical Society, JETS. 

For information on how your company or organization can sponsor a summer program or other outreach activity, please contact Carolyn Oldenburg, Director of Development, at 901.678.1537.