NSBE Chicago Hosts Engineers Expo
NSBE Chicago Hosts Engineers Expo
By Tia Carol Jones
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Chicago will host its 14th Annual Engineers Expo from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28th, at the Lindblom Math & Science Academy, located at 6130 S. Wolcott Ave. The event is free and open to students from kindergarten to 12th grade.
The NSBE was founded in 1975 at Purdue University, with the mission to increase the number of Black engineers with the goal of making a positive impact on the community. The goal of the NSBE Chicago is to develop its members, while preparing its collegiate members to transition to professionals and to increase the interest in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields for African American students in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
James Keels is the Vice President of NSBE Chicago. He said that the local chapter supports Black professional engineers and those in STEM careers across the city through professional development, mentorship, community outreach and partnerships. He said the Engineers Expo was established because the organization saw that there was a lack of direct access to engineers for Black students in Chicago. The organization wanted to develop an event that would motivate students to seek careers in STEM, while putting Black engineers in their proximity.
Keels said that the NSBE Chicago believes that representation matters, and that by providing hands-on engineering experience to students through the Engineers Expo, it brings awareness to them in a much more meaningful way. He said that NSBE Chicago’s goal is to put the Black engineers in front of the students as early as possible and to show them that STEM and engineering is a viable career option.
He said NSBE Chicago is trying to narrow the gap in the disparity of Black students choosing careers in engineering through its community outreach. Keels said that with the influx of new technology, this means there will be new kinds of jobs in the STEM space, and there is a need for more Black people in those fields. He said the fundamental skills of problem solving that the students will learn during the Engineers Expo have universal applications past engineering and STEM.
Keels said the community can support the work that the NSBE Chicago is doing by volunteering for its events. There are volunteer opportunities during the Engineers Expo to help the students. NSBE Chicago also has a robotics program where there are opportunities to support through volunteering. He said people just being there for the children can be transformative.
“We tell people they don’t have to be a STEM person; they don’t even have to know how to make a robot. That’s the kid’s job. Your job is to support,” Keels said. “A lot of times our kids just need somebody to say, I see you, I understand and I like the same things that you like.”
In addition to the Engineers Expo and the robotics program, NSBE Chicago also has three summer camps they host, which are broken up by grades, and take place at various locations. The weeklong summer camps include hands-on activities with the goal of getting the children interested in STEM. NSBE Chicago has a collegiate initiative that reaches out to college students and provides professional development. NSBE Chicago has networking events for professionals in engineering and STEM.
For more information about NSBE Chicago, visit www.chicagonsbe.org.
Latest Stories
- Legislation targets vertically integrated vision benefit managers and moves to close regulatory loopholes
- Vintrendi Wine Company Owner Shares His Favorite Black Owned Businesses
- Soul & Smoke Owner Values Working With Other Black Owned Businesses
- NSBE Chicago Hosts Engineers Expo
- Local Financial Literacy Columnist Encourages The Community To “Get Your House In Order”
Latest Podcast
Get Your House In Order 2
