Dr. George Blanks, director of K-12 Engineering Outreach in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and Mary Lou Ewald, director of outreach in the College of Sciences and Mathematics, spoke to the Auburn Rotary Club about the Alabama B.E.S.T. competition. The pair co-direct B.E.S.T., which stands for Boosting Engineering Science and Technology. The robotics competition is comprised of middle school and high school teams from across the Southeast that compete in an annual robotics competition hosted by Auburn University.

B.E.S.T. helps encourage students to develop skills leading toward careers in engineering, science and math. Students build robots and compete against other schools, and while having fun, they are learning about physics, science, mechanics, engineering and public speaking. These real-world challenges inspire students to become engineers so that they will enter the workforce technically proficient and trained for the increasing demand for scientist and engineers. Currently, BEST has about 675 schools in 14 states that participate. The Engineering Academy Initiative is a new statewide program in our schools that show students that engineering can be “cool." It is a collaborative effort between Auburn University, the University of Alabama system, the State Department of Education and engineering-based companies in our state.

Blanks (second from left) andEwald (third from left) with program chair George Ruff (far right) and Club President Bill Hutto (far left)