Engineering College educates younger students about STEM

Amber Boswell, Contributing Writer

The University of Alabama’s College of Engineering held E-Day on Friday, an event dedicated to educating high school, middle school and elementary school students about STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

E-Day gave attendees a chance to tour the University. Blythe Johnston, a senior and ambassador of the College of Engineering, said the E-Day event was important for prospective students and anyone interested in engineering.

“It gives access to people who would not normally get a chance to visit a college campus, and a glimpse of what college life actually looks like,” Johnston said.

Eddie Todd, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, said E-Day was a great way to learn about what majoring in engineering is really like.

“I feel that E-Day is a good opportunity for students in high school and below to learn more about the field of engineering and really the STEM field,” Todd said. “They get to learn about classes, as well as what the work environment of different engineers is like, by networking with different companies.”

During registration, various campus organizations and clubs set up tables, giving students information about their club. There were about 30 organizations and resources represented at E-Day, and this lasted from 8:30 to 10 a.m.

Then, people were put into groups of 20-30 and given a chance to tour labs that are usually not open for the public, offering an opportunity for people to see the different departments within the College of Engineering. After touring these departments, students and parents were permitted to enjoy a lunch on Shelby Quad.

There were about 650-700 non-UA students in attendance at E-Day this year.