Concrete for Kids
Contact: Carin Roberts-Wollmann, wollmann@vt.edu
Type of program:
The objective of our program is to teach middle school age children about civil engineering in general and concrete composition and behavior more specifically. The program consists of three visits to the class. During the first visit, civil engineering and concrete are discussed and a small concrete beam is tested to failure. On the second visit, the students are provided with materials and a small form. They mix concrete and place it in the form. During the third visit, each of the student's beams is tested to failure. We own the forms, and we purchase the materials for the concrete each time we present. It typically requires about a week to prepare the forms, buy the materials, prepare the kits, and so forth.
The program takes place in a classroom setting, serving 20 - 40 K-12 youths; one K-12 faculty; 20 - 40 sixth to eighth grade youths (middle school), along with one K-12 faculty and three to four university undergraduates, two to three graduate students, and one faculty member. The target population is Boy Scouts. The topic is engineering, and the program serves the local area.
The student chapter of American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) conducts Concrete for Kids, a project in which civil engineering students visit local elementary schools. The goal of the project is to provide elementary students exposure to what civil engineers do. The students make and test concrete beams while learning about the various properties of concrete and having fun.