Civil engineering is everywhere – from the switch you flip to turn on the light in the morning to the roads you use to get home at the end of the day. Given the renewed interest in infrastructure lately, it’s no surprise that issues such as traffic congestion and new construction make the headlines each and every day. When journalists are insightful in their reporting, citizens can play a more informed role in the infrastructure debate that shapes their communities.

Many of you are probably aware of ASCE’s Excellence in Journalism Award. The award recognizes outstanding news stories that enhance public understanding of the role and impact of civil engineers and civil engineering in designing solutions for clean water, transportation, the environment and other public works projects. Journalists and producers from English-language, general interest regional and national newspapers, radio and television stations, magazines, and electronic and Web-based news outlets are all eligible.

So that brings me back to my original question – have you read any good news stories lately? Civil engineering-related news stories, in particular. Consider nominating them for the Excellence in Journalism Award! Stories eligible for the 2010 award must have appeared between May 1, 2008 and Oct. 31, 2009. Entries must be postmarked by Dec. 1, 2009, but it’s not too early to start keeping your eyes open for those stories worth nominating! (You can find more information on criteria and submission guidelines here.)

ASCE Sections and Branches are encouraged to conduct a local Excellence in Journalism Award competition along the lines of the national competition and nominate their local winner for the national competition. This is also a great opportunity to start getting to know some of your local reporters.

Click here to check out the 2008 Excellence in Journalism Award winners, Veronica Castelo and Jenna Hiller of News 8 Austin for their series of stories on Texas dams. (Also the winners of the Texas Section’s Excellence in Journalism Award!)

Send me an email if you have any questions and let’s see some of those stories! Feel free to link to some of the stories you’ve seen lately in the comments area below.

Karen Albers
Manager, State Public Relations

As with other public relations efforts, setting goals and measuring outcomes is an important part of the ASCE pre-college outreach process. After all, if you don’t know what you hope to achieve before you begin, how can you tell if you have succeeded in what you set out to do? Hopefully for all of us in the civil engineering community, this is intuitive. Brainstorm, design, build, test and evaluate, redesign, build, test….  You recognize it as the engineering design process! It’s how we make things better!

Recently ASCE Pre-College Outreach has been doing some testing and evaluation of its own by initiating two assessment projects. The first is the launch of our online Pre-College Outreach survey to get feedback from our member volunteers and learn about the scope of pre-college outreach across the country. Although we think we know what volunteers are doing in their Sections and Branches, we have set out to get a better measurement of how, where and with whom our members are conducting their pre-college outreach programs in their communities. You can help with this assessment by taking the survey. Your feedback will help us evaluate our current volunteer network and build an even stronger one!

Another assessment we recently finished was a focus group study of more than 120 students in grades 4 through 7 to observe their response to the newly launched ASCEville Web site! We hoped to learn if our target audience had been calibrated accurately and whether the features we hoped would interest kids, actually got kids excited about civil engineering. Most importantly, we took a close look at their recommendations to learn what they would like to see on the site to make it even more informative and fun. Many of our findings led to improvements currently being implemented!

The value of setting goals and measuring outcomes cannot be overstated. Before you begin your next pre-college outreach effort, be sure to pause and ask yourself, “What do I hope to achieve?” Consider gauging not only the number of kids you reach, but the quality of the overall outreach event. Measures of effectiveness can include: Did we reach students with the right messages? Did students have a positive response to what they heard? Did we forge new relationships with community partners who share our interest in bringing information about civil engineering to kids? Did we have fun doing it?

Testing and evaluating is easy with a little bit of advanced preparation and follow through. I’ll be talking more about ways to assess your pre-college efforts in the future. In the meantime, begin to establish a habit of assessment at the local level to help you reach your goals and help us reach our national goals. Attracting kids to the profession of civil engineering and teaching the public about the important role civil engineers play in shaping the future remains high on our list of priorities!

Leslie Payne
Manager, Pre-College Outreach

Blogging has become a key component of outreach efforts, since it’s a great way to reach members and others interested in your group’s activities. Several ASCE Sections and Branches have started branching out into the world of blogging. A blog can give a voice to your group or to a leader, and the comments generated in reaction can foster good, enlightening dialogue between your blog and its readers — when managed properly. Blogs that aren’t moderated, or seem loose about the kinds of comments allowed, can spin out of control and become counterproductive, even harmful to the blog’s reputation. 

Do you have a policy or some guidelines for your blog’s comments? Consider these suggestions to help you ensure a good dialogue.

Have a moderator who can make judgments about the propriety of comments. You can choose to allow comments to be posted live, immediately, with a prompt, periodic review later, or review each submitted comment before permitting its posting. The follow-up review strategy is fine as long as comments are reviewed frequently. However, this clearly runs the risk of inappropriate comments appearing live on the blog for a time.

What constitutes an inappropriate comment? That can vary according to your own standards, but these elements generally do not help facilitate a positive conversation:

• Unrelated to the blog topic.
• Ad hominem attacks on the blogger or fellow commenters, or items otherwise expressing an excessively hostile tone.
• Overly lengthy comments; readers will typically just skip over them.
• Submissions that do not express the commenter’s own thoughts; i.e. merely duplicating someone else’s writing at length. The commenter should write in his or her own words and supplement as needed with links to items supporting their views.
• Spam/advertising.

Moderators must exercise neutrality, especially for a blog representing a group; the only exception can be when an individual self-moderates his or her own blog, but that still should be avoided, or at the very least made plain to readers. Encouraging a healthy dialogue means accepting comments that may run counter to the moderator’s personal views. If a perception of bias develops over which kinds of comments are or are not permitted, it can permanently taint the blog and destroy the dialogue.

Here’s hoping this guidance is useful as you write or manage a blog. Have you had any sticky situations or can you foresee any that these tips don’t address? Let me know in a comment below (on-topic, thanks )

John Marston
Web Content Editor

Oh…the lazy days of summer! The kids are out of school and everyone is looking for a little fun in the sun. But as we enjoy our summer vacations, thoughts of the approaching fall season are coming into view on the horizon. Now is a great time for your Section or Branch to plan K-12 engineering outreach in your local area for the new school year. ASCE Pre-College Outreach can provide you with guidance to help you introduce kids to civil engineering and promote the profession.   

Here are some steps you can follow to prepare:

• Sign up to become the designated outreach contact for your Section or Branch. ASCE Pre-College Outreach has a growing program and we need support at the local level. As an outreach contact, you will be responsible for receiving and distributing important outreach program updates, invitations, local volunteer opportunities and other information on behalf of your Section/Branch. This is a great opportunity for your Section/Branch to get involved in outreach by becoming a part of our community. Sign up today!
   
• Contact ASCE Pre-College Outreach for a sample packet of material resources. Outreach has an assortment of hands-on activity guides, brochures, posters and handouts to help jump start your local outreach effort. You can use these resources to prepare an outreach event or career day presentation. Visit ASCEville to preview some of the resources we have available. Email outreach@asce.org to order outreach materials or request a sample outreach packet for your Section/Branch.
• Identify where you can promote civil engineering to kids. Now that you have the resources, develop a list of possible people to contact within your local community to get started. Try connecting with local colleges, community centers, libraries and museums to inquire about your interest in opportunities to introduce kids to civil engineering. At the start of the school season, contact your child’s school or school system regarding planned career day events on the school calendar and your interest in being involved. Then contact us and let us know how we can help.  
• Visit ASCE’s new Web site for outreach volunteers. The site will provide you with inspiration and a supportive network.
• Take our first online Pre-College Outreach Survey. Help us learn more about outreach volunteerism around the country. As an additional incentive, if you take our survey, you will be entered into a drawing to win an iPod Classic!

How is your Section/Branch preparing for the new pre-college outreach season? We’d love to hear from you!

Shana Gipson
Senior Coordinator, Diversity and Pre-College Outreach

If you’re reading this blog, hopefully you’ve realized the importance of the PR Coordinator’s role in your Section or Branch. And maybe you’ve even developed a media protocol that helps your PR Coordinator coordinate the Section or Branch’s contact with the media.

But now that you have the infrastructure in place to work with the media, what do you do when you’re actually contacted by a reporter who needs a spokesperson from your Section or Branch? Good question!

You’ll want to carefully choose someone within your Section or Branch since they’ll be speaking on its behalf. The Section president is a good choice, but the president doesn’t have to be your only option. (And, if you’ve attended a PR University workshop, hopefully you’ve realized the importance of having more than one designated spokesperson!) Perhaps a reporter is calling to talk about your local Report Card. In that case, the chair of your local Report Card Committee would be an excellent spokesperson.

Below are some tips for choosing a spokesperson:

Do not choose a spokesperson who:

• Is uncomfortable publicly commenting on the particular issue with which you are dealing.
• Is not permitted by their employer to give media interviews, even when representing the Section or Branch.
• Has an unpredictable schedule or who is often unreachable due to travel or other work/personal commitments. Reporters are often on tight deadlines and responding to a reporter the day after they call may be too late.

Do choose a spokesperson who:

• Is a high-ranking volunteer within the Section or Branch (Section President, chair of the local Report Card Committee, etc.)
• Is able to easily and clearly explain technical issues to non-technical audiences.

Have you served as a spokesperson for your Section or Branch? Do you have any more tips to add to our list?

Karen Albers
Manager, State Public Relations

Everyone is talking about social media!  From Facebook to You Tube to Twitter, there seems to be no end to the growing number of online communities people can use to share stories and connect with others. We all seem to be linking in to see what’s going on!

What is it about social media that draws us in? Perhaps it’s because we learn through the experiences of others; or perhaps because we are all hungry to connect with others who have the same enthusiasm and passion for common interests.

ASCE Pre-College Outreach is getting off the sidelines and joining in the fun. With volunteers across the country holding educational outreach events, participating in engineering competitions, attending career fairs, mentoring youth and visiting classrooms, social media offers the perfect opportunity for civil engineers to share their experiences and successes in a unique online outreach community center. The time has never been better to share with and learn from others about reaching out to and engaging kids in civil engineering.

Do you have an interest in talking to kids about civil engineering? Then be sure to visit our pre-college outreach community center on the Web. There you can read stories about other champions of outreach around the country and learn new ways to get involved.  You can also participate in our outreach survey by telling us about your outreach experiences. Your feedback can help us provide the programs and services that better support your outreach efforts. Links to ASCE’s Pre-College outreach community on Facebook and The View – ASCE’s Pre-College Outreach Photo Gallery on Flickr - will give you places to look at photos, leave comments and have discussions, all with the purpose of teaching others and learning how to better reach kids with information about the excitement and importance of civil engineering.

And don’t forget about the advantages ASCE’s Pre-College Outreach program’s social media could hold for your Section or Branch. By tuning in, posting stories, following links, learning from others and holding discussions about what is working or what isn’t, you may find the information your Section or Branch needs to make a lasting impact on engineering education in your community.

So get off the sidelines and join in the fun with us. Send us your stories or post your comments, photos, videos, etc. online. Get social!

Leslie Payne
Manager, Pre-College Outreach

We never become who we are or get to where we need to be alone. We all have had a little help along the way.

I mentor at a youth detention center in Washington, D.C. For me, it’s my way of giving back – my way of repaying those who helped keep me away from the myriad of distractions placed before me during my youth.

The mostly teen audience I speak to stumbled along the wrong path, some due to circumstance, others because they didn’t have someone to show them a better way.

I visit once or twice a week. We talk about anything, everything and nothing at all. They probe me about my background, want to know some war stories from my Army days, or simply rag me about my favorite teams not being in the playoffs.

I ask them about how they are bettering themselves while confined, and what their plans are upon release. I also inquire about what they foresee in their futures. To assist me in explaining what I do for a living, I once shared ASCE’s 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure with the group. There were two young adults who were more intrigued by the document than the others. Before I left, they had many insightful questions, much like the reporters who query me at work.

I invited a friend who is a civil engineer to join me for my next visit. Coincidently, she grew up in the same neighborhood as the two young adults who quizzed me the previous week about the Report Card. I linked her up with them and it was as if the light switch was flipped for the two young adults. And my civil engineer friend says she probably got more out of that visit than her inquisitive admirers!

Since that day, each time I visit the detention center, those two youths share with me the ways they think we can improve our infrastructure, how my engineer friend is helping them build a pseudo-Concrete Canoe and their plans to become engineers. I cannot take credit for piquing their interest, but I will beam with pride when I see them perhaps one day becoming one of ASCE’s New Faces of Civil Engineering.

Have you had any experiences mentoring? Does your Section or Branch have a mentoring program?

Anthony Reed
Manager, External Relations

Women engineers are creating bold new solutions to meet some of the world’s greatest challenges. Their excellence and innovation has been captured in ASCE’s publication Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers and ASCE continues to recognize their notable accomplishments as civil engineers and industry leaders.

But did you know that many women civil engineers are change agents on college and university campuses around the world? Many of these women are highly skilled practitioners and faculty members, scholars and administrators. Their research is making a significant contribution to the understanding of issues related to the civil engineering profession and to the advancement of women in industry and academia. Many are also spearheading successful women in engineering and diversity programs as well as pre-college outreach programs that inspire girls’ interest and pursuit of civil engineering. Their dedication to outreach is pivotal to the recruitment, retention and development of women interested in civil engineering. Many are effective advocates for creating a positive climate and culture for women in engineering, which has helped shape the perception of civil engineering into a profession that is empowering, rewarding and exciting!

What an exciting time for women civil engineers in academic leadership. They are literally transforming the culture of engineering education! What’s more, many of these women are ASCE members! Members whose enterprising spirits and notable accomplishments are tremendous! Their academic leadership has made it possible for students - male and female - to excel in their studies. And their professional mentorship has enhanced opportunities for their peers to advance in engineering as academic leaders.

Take this opportunity to celebrate women’s academic leadership. Do you know a woman civil engineer who’s also an academician? If so, celebrate her achievements in this blog. You could also spotlight her achievements in your Section/Branch newsletter or Web site. If you don’t know a woman engineer who’s also an academician, ask around within your Section or Branch. You could also contact your local college or university’s school of engineering and ask for their support. If you’re still having trouble, contact diversity@asce.org for assistance.

If you’re a woman civil engineer and academician, don’t wait to be nominated or promoted. Promote yourself! As our current President, Wayne Klotz, has said repeatedly, civil engineers are not self-promoters. We need to change that and here’s your chance. Promote yourself and the contributions your work is making to the civil engineering profession and/or to your campus community. Start now. Click the response key below and start typing. If you submit nothing more than your name, institutional affiliation and professional title, make the first move and start the ball rolling for women engineering academicians!

Lisa J. Jennings
Senior Manager, Diversity and Pre-College Outreach

You’ll give your e-newsletter a boost simply by writing more in the second person!

The “you’ll” and “your” in that sentence might have stood out after reading what the subject was - but not before feeling the tug of the personal touch that use of the second person, the sound of speaking directly to you, creates. That feeling can lend some insight into why and how writing in the second person can benefit e-newsletters and other communications.

Here are some reasons why “you” will benefit:

• You’ll find yourself writing more conversationally. If it feels right to use a contraction, do it. Sentences that are more to-the-point also should flow more naturally. Adjacent third-person writing also benefits.
• It’s well suited for items that are calls to action. Frequently the second person in this case is an understood “you” — Act now! Register today!  But beware of sounding obnoxious through excessive use; it can feel like shouting, especially in headlines.
• Common use of the second person in an e-newsletter helps give it a voice, setting a friendly tone that encourages readers to read it through, and to click through and read more or take action where called on.

Naturally, not every subject lends itself to second-person voice; most news-oriented items or other serious, sensitive subjects should avoid it, unless handled delicately. Most often, though, the kinds of subjects covered in e-newsletters and similar communiqués are light enough that a second-person conversational approach, used judiciously, can really work to your advantage. Try it today!

John Marston
Editor, Web Content

ASCE initiatives to promote diversity within the civil engineering profession include formal partnerships with the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE). Both societies are dedicated to the support and advancement of engineering talent. Together, our societies have pledged to work together to advance our mutual goals through a series of collaborative efforts that encourage closer relationships between our members and promote resources, services and membership benefits.

ASCE’s partnerships with NSBE and SHPE demonstrate the Society’s commitment to the proactive inclusion of talented civil engineers from diverse backgrounds and we wanted to take this opportunity to applaud the volunteer efforts of local ASCE Sections and Branches who have supported that commitment. READ ON!

Dazzling lights and desert sun set the backdrop of NSBE’s 2009 National Convention in Las Vegas and SHPE’s 2008 Annual Conference in Phoenix. NSBE’s convention in March attracted more than 11,000 students and professionals of all engineering disciplines. SHPE’s convention in November attracted more than 2,600 engineering students and professionals. ASCE staff and local volunteers were out in full force at both conventions to represent ASCE and highlight member resources, services and membership benefits. But it was their mentorship and encouragement that made the biggest impact among NSBE and SHPE members who wanted to develop their interests in the civil engineering profession.

Local volunteers provided the perfect model of how your ASCE Sections and Branches can promote diversity in the field by partnering with other organizations. Volunteers from the Southern Nevada Branch for NSBE and the Phoenix Branch for SHPE interacted with students at the career fairs and provided undergraduate civil engineering students with advice on professional development strategies. Their efforts resulted in the recruitment of 24 NSBE and 42 SHPE students for ASCE’s student membership. 

ASCE also hosted Civil Engineering Networking Suites at both conventions. The suite provided students and professionals the opportunity to network with civil engineering professionals while enjoying a relaxed environment filled with food and fun. Volunteers assisted with registration and ice breaker activities. Guests genuinely appreciated the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations with practicing civil engineers.

I encourage your Section or Branch to follow the example of ASCE’s Southern Nevada and Phoenix branches by connecting with diversity partners in your local area. Email us to find out how you can connect with local diversity partners and create lasting and valuable relationships.

Has your Section or Branch partnered with NSBE or SHPE? If so, tell us about it below and encourage your local members to get involved! 

Shana Gipson
Senior Coordinator
Diversity and Pre-College Outreach