From New Delhi to Santiago and from London to Washington state, Bechtel marked its third annual Global Stewardship Month by reaching out to more than 5,500 students worldwide. The company’s efforts focused on inspiring the next generation of engineers and on using small-scale engineering projects to improve quality of life for residents of under-developed communities around the world.
“Global Stewardship Month showcases our year-round commitment to giving back to the communities where we live and work,” said Charlene Wheeless, Bechtel’s head of global corporate affairs. “Our colleagues are passionate about making a difference and while we see that every day, that energy was magnified during Stewardship Month.”
As part of its stewardship efforts to give back to the community, Bechtel is a signature sponsor of five key programs: DiscoverE, Engineers Without Borders, FIRST®, Junior Achievement®, and Ocean Exploration Trust.
“Bechtel volunteers are tireless advocates for STEM education,” said Leslie Collins, executive director of DiscoverE. “We are proud to join with them in our mission to introduce young people to the magic of engineering, and to inspire the next generation of engineers.”
“Bechtel employees who give their time as FIRST® team mentors are teaching far more than just robotics,” said Donald E. Bossi, president, FIRST. “They are teaching kids about teamwork, competition, and how to research and present their knowledge – skills they’ll rely on well into the future.”
During Global Stewardship Month, Bechtel's impact was felt around the world. Highlights included:
- In the United Kingdom, Bechtel colleagues coached a FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL®) team in the Bechtel-supported FLL UK finals competition, where the team was presented with the Insight into Learning award by Minister of Education Nicky Morgan.
- In Australia, volunteers worked with the Bechtel-sponsored FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC®) team in Brisbane, fresh off a win at the Australian National FTC Championship, preparing them for the 2015 FIRST Robotics World Championship Competition.
- In Uganda, Maryland-based volunteers worked with Engineers Without Borders in preparation for a water supply project in the village of Mikomago.
- Chile- and U.S.-based colleagues participated in DiscoverE’s Global Marathon For, By, and About Women in Engineering & Technology (a worldwide online forum).
- Volunteers in Washington State reached over 5,000 middle school students through classroom presentations during Engineers Week.
- In the Washington, D.C., area, volunteers helped judge the 2015 Bechtel-sponsored DiscoverE Future City competition, a national, project-based learning experience in which students plan and build a city and create solutions to an engineering problem; coached an all-girls Future City team that went on to place third in the regional competition; and introduced children and their families to the joy of engineering through an experiment about earthquakes and soil liquefaction, sponsored by DiscoverE.
- Bechtel volunteers in Texas hosted more than 200 Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Webelos for a day of learning and activities focused on engineering, and conducted an in-school engineering workshop and mentoring session with some 160 girls during Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.
