On the evening of March 12th, 2012, the University of Waterloo opened its doors to local elementary school students for the Faculty of Engineering's annual Engineering Explorations night. Thousands of grade 6-8 students and their parents descended upon Waterloo Engineering to experience the faculty by viewing a mix of displays in a tour of the various departments. The three main objectives of Explorations are to excite students about engineering and technology in hopes of sparking an interest in continuing their math and science studies throughout high school, to provide the public with an opportunity to see what engineers do at the University of Waterloo, and to promote the Faculty of Engineering.
The University of Waterloo Alternative Fuels Team (UWAFT) had a booth set up and engaged in interactive presentations to groups of students and their parents about UWAFT, EcoCAR 2, and advanced vehicle technologies. "The students asked many questions about UWAFT, EcoCAR 2 and even alternative fuels, so we knew they were well engaged during these discussions" said Rachael Morin, Director of Youth Outreach. This exemplified their interest in UWAFT's project goals such as reducing fuel consumption, tailpipe emissions and well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions. According to Mark Goody, Director of Outreach "many students were actually very knowledgeable about the problems that exist from society's dependence on fossil fuels, the environmental risks associated with their extraction, and the environmental damage caused by their emissions."
UWAFT was very happy to give young students and their parents an opportunity to learn more about advanced vehicle technologies and the EcoCAR 2 program. Getting students interested in engineering and science is important as it ensures that there will be a next generation of passionate students, dedicated towards solving real-world problems that society is currently facing.
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