Lamar University will host a free community event for young students to get hands-on exposure to the world of engineering. Discover Engineering will be held at the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum Saturday, April 7 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.

“It is a great chance for young people to experience science, not just watch it,” said Erin Lovelady, director of outreach and student services.

“Lamar University’s College of Engineering wants to inspire the next generation of engineers and scientist. Discover Engineering is one our opportunities to share our love of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) with our community,” she said.

The event is designed for elementary and middle school students interested in STEM. Students and parents will have the opportunity to speak with engineering students and professionals about career options and programs for engineering at LU.

Discover Engineering will have student organization and industry professionals on-hand to offer demonstrations of various engineering activities. Activities have included making ice cream, exploring “quick sand,” making paper and watching sound waves make fire “dance.” Additional activities will be introduced on the day of the event. Door prizes, T-shirts and snacks will be provided.

“It’s very interesting to see how this event changes the way the students see the experiments. By the time they leave, they've stopped just being amazed by the experiments and have started to really appreciate the science behind it. Overall, it really teaches students to not only observe the world around them, but to ask why,” said Shelby Whitehead, a chemical engineering major from Lumberton and President of the Student Engineering Council.

Discover Engineering is brought to the community by Lamar University's Student Engineering Council, which unites various engineering student organizations within the College of Engineering.

All elementary and middle school students and their parents are encouraged to attend this free event. No registration required.

For more information, contact the Office of Outreach and Student Services, College of Engineering, at (409) 880-7871 or visit our webpage at: https://www.lamar.edu/engineering/k-12-programs/discover-engineering.html