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For Immediate Release: February 7, 2012
Media Contact: Marketing and Communication Department

Discover Engineering Family Day

A Hands-on Family Festival at the National Building Museum


WHAT
Families, scout groups, and all curious visitors are invited to be an engineer for a day and learn how to turn ideas into reality! Celebrate National Engineers Week by participating in this free, hands-on, and fun-filled festival for all ages.
 
Lean how engineering is involved in everyday life. Make slime, play with robots, test out what happens when you put a Hot Wheels car through a wind tunnel, learn about the science of popcorn, experience a tsunami wave tank, and much more. New this year—learn about electricity as you test out a new dance pad by Design Squad Nation!

Throughout the day, children and adults can:

 Cub Scout at Discover Engineering Family Day
  • Explore what happens when you put a mini race car through a wind tunnel. 
  • Mix slime and learn about liquids and solids.
  • Design a building and see if it survives a tsunami wave tank.
  • Meet astronaut Roger Crouch.
  • Fly gliders, parachutes, and soda straw rockets while learning the basic principles of aerodynamics.
  • Build catapults for ping pong balls and discover the engineering behind simple machines.
  • Interact with LEGO® Robots and control them through a maze of paths.
  • Special this year: see a giant dance pad in action. PBS’s Design Squad demonstrates how a large dance pad gets assembled and how it works with music. Learn the engineering behind this sound and light show while cast members dance.
  • Meet and take your picture with Curious George, the PBS Kids character who promotes science and engineering as he discovers the world around him.
  • Try much, much more!

Major funding for Discover Engineering Family Day is provided by ASME, IEEE-USA, Northrop Grumman Foundation, and the National Engineers Week Foundation. Additional support is provided by Bechtel, NCEES, National Science Foundation, and the Semiconductor Industry Association. Local supporters: American Society for Engineering Education, LEGO Systems, Inc., American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics-National Capital Section, ASHRAE-Nation’s Capital Chapter, and the National Nanotechnology Initiative. FAMILY Magazine is the official media partner of the 2012 Discover Engineering Family Day. 

WHEN   
Saturday, February 18, 2012
10:00 am – 4:30 pm
FREE; Drop-in program; no registration required.

WHERE 
National Building Museum
401 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
(Judiciary Square Metro, Red Line)

IMAGES 
Photo by Kevin Allen. Additional images from past years available upon request.

The National Building Museum is America’s leading cultural institution dedicated to advancing the quality of the built environment by educating people about its impact on their lives. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, online content, and publications, the Museum has become a vital forum for the exchange of ideas and information about the world we build for ourselves. Public inquiries: 202.272.2448 or visit www.nbm.org. Connect with us on Twitter: @BuildingMuseum and Facebook.

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