Kids birthday parties: "Having fun and learning engineering"

According to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) ¹, interest in science, math, and engineering among the next generation in the United States has been declining at an alarming rate for several decades. This may be caused from intimidation that these subjects pose to primary and secondary education students. Educating these students (K-12 ^th grade) on the social and economic benefits of pursuing careers in science and technology through fun, unique, and interactive parties is an excellent opportunity and is the focus of this paper. These science-oriented parties can be used for a plethora of occasions including: birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, lock ins, celebrations, and much more. Typically, educational outreach programs teach students who are already interested in science and engineering. These engineering parties are a surprise and capture attention from children who have never expressed interest in science and math before. In addition, these parties, organized by volunteering college students at local universities and/or colleges, help parents plan and operate educational and fun parties. This paper discusses how programs can be developed at universities and colleges allowing college students to give to the community and serve as role models for the future generation of scientists and engineers. The program consists of college students coordinating entertaining activities for the parties that use safe, easy-to-do, and enjoyable games involving science and engineering. The program engages the community: parents, undergraduate students, graduate students, and educators. Examples of experiments and alternatives on how the program can be adopted and implemented by different colleges and universities for a birthday party are discussed.