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Hoeven Announces 'Real World Challenge'

Gov. John Hoeven announced in late October an innovative partnership to enhance science, technology, engineering and mathematics education in North Dakota with the goal of training tomorrow's engineers, especially in the aerospace industry.

The Real World Design Challenge is a partnership between the state of North Dakota, NASA, the U.S Department of Energy, FAA and others. Schools establish teams of 3-7 students who will participate in the 2010 state challenge which will address fuel efficiency in aviation.

Student teams will spend several months generating solutions to the challenge.

A winning team from each participating state will be invited to compete in the RWDC national challenge. The U.S. Department of Energy will host the RWDC National Event in Washington, D.C., in March 2010. The top national winners will receive prizes, awards, and recognition from leaders in government, industry, and higher education.

"The Real World Design Challenge will promote and enhance STEM education in the state of North Dakota," Gov. Hoeven said. "The challenge will bring together education, industry and government to prepare our young people in these vital careers, which in turn will help to expand our workforce for the future."

During the 2009 legislative session the Governor included $1.5 million in his executive budget for STEM Teacher Education Enhancement Programs.

The program will provide North Dakota teachers and students free access to some of the world's most advanced mechanical engineering and design software as part of a national design competition. The Challenge strengthens professional development for teachers through training and industry collaboration. Mentors from National Laboratories, the FAA, industry and higher education provide support using a web-based global engineering backbone.

The Real World Design Challenge bridges the needs of industry with the future of education, and teaches innovation, creativity, and collaboration using the expertise that industry, government and higher education have been honing for decades. The goals of the initiative are to inspire and engage all students in science, technology, engineering and math education and highlight the potential future workers in science and engineering fields.

The aerospace industry faces a very significant shortage of engineers. Between 60,000 and 68,000 engineers in the U.S. aerospace industry will retire by 2010 and only half of those will be replaced. With modest growth in the U.S. aerospace industry, there will be a shortage of 40,000 to 85,000 engineers by 2010.

The deadline for submissions and registration is November 16, 2009.

For more information on the Real World Design Challenge please contact Larry Taborsky at 328-9655 or ltaborsky@nd.gov.