Engineering Week

Engineers Week was started in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers. It is recognized on the week of Former President George Washington’s birthday, who is considered the first engineer in the United States due to his survey work. The purpose of Engineers Week is to celebrate engineers, increase dialogue about the need for engineers, and introduce the engineering field to the future workforce. Milhouse was able to celebrate our hard-working engineers during an event filled week. We hosted an Ultimate Build Competition, “Milhouse Stars” selfie day, and the first ever Milhouse Engineers Week Awards.

Ultimate Build Competition

We hosted an Ultimate Build competition where Team Members created various industrial designs with Legos. This tied back into the “Reimagining the Possible” theme by granting our Team Members to an opportunity to tap into childhood creativity by recreating a building or place that has meaning to them. Everyone had the option to build a bridge, power plant, skyscraper, or a transportation hub.  Teams created various designs such as a pedestrian bridge, the Michigan City power plant, and the Willis Tower. Our winning team created a pedestrian bridge that included Lego workers as well. 

Milhouse Stars 

We also had “Milhouse Stars,” Team Members submitted selfies and quotes that displayed their Milhouse Spirit. This activity was meant to be a reflection exercise for our Team Members. We asked participants to submit a selfie with a caption that explains how engineering supports our Team and the community to Reimagine the Possible.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day

Milhouse Charities was also able to host our first ever “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.” We hosted 25 young women ages 10-16 from different schools across Chicago. We had guests in attendance from Nicor Gas, Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program, Project SYNCERE, and Chicago Public Schools. Our Milhouse Team Members facilitated a panel that discussed the importance of engineering, women trailblazers in engineering, and scholarship opportunities. After the panel, a tour was given of the Milhouse office then our team members and our guests from Nicor Gas facilitated workshops. The girls that were in grammar school competed in a spaghetti tower competition where they competed to build the tallest structure using only spaghetti and marshmallows. After the event, the girls were partnered with mentors to help guide them as they move forward in their academic and professional life.

“Thank you for having us at your company.
Hope we get to see more of your work in the future.”

– Student

Engineering Week Awards 

The final event was the first Milhouse Engineers Week awards. Team Members submitted nominations for their peers across six categories. It was wonderful to see our team members recognizing the contributions and positive qualities of their peers.

“As engineers, we were going to be in a position
to change the world – not just study it.”

— Henry Petroski, American engineer  

Engineers Week is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of engineers in creating a better world. From transportation to housing to sanitation, engineering touches every facet of our lives. At Milhouse, we use engineering to solve problems around the world and to pursue a brighter future for the communities we serve.