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Â鶹ÊÓƵ is offering a free community event for young students to take a peak into the exciting world of engineering.  The event will be held at the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum on Saturday, April 9 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This educational fair for girls and boys interested in science, math, engineering and technology will feature the participation of local companies and student organizations, as well as dozens of self-paced, hands-on activities. Local companies participating in the event with displays and activities include Flint Hills Resources, BASF, MetalForms and more.

This free event is brought to the community by Â鶹ÊÓƵ's Student Engineering Council that is comprised of the various engineering student organizations within the College of Engineering. Door prizes, T-shirts and snacks will be provided.

Student organizations develop the ideas for hands-on learning activities that are still plenty of fun to do. "It's a one-of-a-kind experience to see a child's eyes light up when they understand concepts about how the world works," said SWE public relations officer Will Shipp.

"We'll have different activities set up that will challenge these kid's ways of thinking, and hopefully develop new ways of doing so," Shipp said. "The idea is to spark their interest somewhere in the STEM fields while giving them a fun Saturday to remember."

Shipp is a junior studying chemical engineering at Lamar. He will graduate in 2017 after completing co-op experiences at Flint Hills Resources and Valero in Port Arthur, and OCI in Beaumont.

The event is set up for elementary, middle school and high school students. Students and parents will have opportunity to talk with professional engineers and engineering students about the career field and the programs available at Lamar.

While the event is free and open to the students and their parents, registration is encouraged. To register to attend, visit /engineering/k-12-programs/discover-engineering.html.

For more information, contact the Office of Outreach and Student Services, College of Engineering, at (409) 880-7871.