University of Manitoba Engineering Society 

What is it?

Twice during the school year, the University of Manitoba Engineering Society holds an Outreach Day which high school students are invited to attend. The purpose of the outreach day is to educate and excite potential engineering students about the profession of Engineering, and the Faculty of Engineering at the U of M through information sessions, laboratory tours and design competitions.

This year UMES will be holding it's first Outreach Day for high school students on: November 12, 2009

The second Outreach Day is scheduled for: March 18, 2010

Outreach Day Typical Schedule

Registration (8:30am - 9:15am)

During the registration period, students have a chance to select which tours they want to attend during the Tour portion of the day.

Information Session (9:15am - 10:00am)

The information session is designed to give the high school student an idea of what engineering is all about (and dispel the rumour that all an engineer does is drive trains). In the information session, students are given an understanding of where engineers work, and the different problems that engineers are involved in solving. This includes the major disciplines of engineering, like electrical engineers being involved in the creation of electronic devices, mechanical engineers designing cars, airplanes and engines, civil engineers involved in the construction and design of city infrastructure like roads, bridges and sewers. Each attendee is given a full information package about engineering programs offered at the U of M to take home with them.

Lab Tours (10:00am - 12:00pm)

During this portion of the Outreach Day, students are organized into groups where by they are shown around the new state of the art Engineering Information and Technology Centre by an engineering student. On the tour, students will be given an opportunity to see some of the lab facilities engineering students use. This tour may include the hydraulic and river modelling labs, robotics labs, heat transfer labs, power and machines labs, virtual reality simulators. Attendees will also be shown the facilities engineering students use every day, like the new atrium, the undergraduate lounge, computer labs, study halls, lecture theatres and the Engineering Library.

Free Lunch with Special Guests (12:00pm - 1:00pm)

A free pizza lunch is provided to all students attending the event. During this time, students are introduced to the University of Manitoba Symonized Engineering Marching Band and many student groups.

Design Competition (1:00pm - 4:00pm)

The design competition is the most popular and fun part of the High School Outreach Day. The design competition illustrates the many skills needed in the execution of engineering projects, like teamwork and communication skills, not just technical abilities. In this event, attendees are organized into teams of 5 or 6 people and are given a simple design problem. As an example, the team has to build a bridge to span a gap, and make it hold as much weight as possible. Only trouble is they are only given access to very limited materials, like old newspapers, masking tape, string, wood skewers, and dried spaghetti. The teams then have to work together to come up with a design, then build it, and then test their design against other teams’ designs! The testing portion of the competition provides an exciting climax for the day’s events, and will have the victors raving for weeks about their success!

Directions

Students are required to find their own transportation to and from Outreach. In the morning students are to arrive in room E2-229 in Engineering 2 by no later than 9:00 am. The day will be over by 4:00 pm.

The Engineering building at the U of M is right in the centre of campus, so while city buses stop just outside the building, parking is difficult to find close by. The cheapest parking is found the furthest away in the parking lot near University Stadium (SD lot or “twoonie” lot). All day parking costs only $2 plus a shuttle bus gives you a ride into the centre of campus. Close parking is available in the University Centre parkade but costs $10 a day. Various other parking lots shown on the map have pay parking available.

Once you have gotten to campus, go to the Engineering Building #2 (the orange block on the map). E2-229 is located on the main floor (200 level) of the building, so if you come in from outside you are already on the right floor. If you are coming from the tunnels from Architecture or University Centre, go up one floor. We will have directions posted at all entrances in Engineering showing the way to E2-229 for your convenience.

Contact Information

For more information on the event, please contact the UMES Outreach Directors or call 204-474-6362.