Owego, NY, 25-FEB-04 -- More than 150 eighth grade students and educators from six schools in Tioga County and two in Broome County got a peek at how engineering impacts our lives during the 14th annual Engineers Day at the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego facility.

Held in observance of National Engineers Week, Feb. 22-28, Lockheed Martin in conjunction with the Tioga County Coalition for Better Schools hosted a day filled with math and science challenges. Dozens of Lockheed Martin engineers directed students in hands-on projects that show how engineering impacts daily life.

Today's activities are a terrific opportunity for young people to learn about careers in engineering and to start thinking about their future in a technology field, said Judy Marks, the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego executive who welcomed the students. National Engineers Week allows us to show students how endless their opportunities really are. Being an engineer is the ultimate job -- we get to solve the most complex problems.

An electrical engineer and graduate of Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, Marks added, The time to inspire our young people is now -- if they are focused by eighth grade, they are more likely to set high goals for their future.

One of this year's demonstrations will allow students to learn how unmanned vehicles are designed, built and function. The demonstration will feature a scale-model helicopter, a fixed-wing aircraft and a ground vehicle designed and built by college students and faculty collaborating with Lockheed Martin on unmanned system projects. These unmanned vehicles, built using Lockheed Martin avionics technology, enable the testing and evaluation of computerized controls at low cost before they are applied to actual aircraft and vehicles. The eighth grade students will have a chance to learn how unmanned vehicles are designed and built, as well as allow them to see how different engineering specialties are integrated in a single project.

Other hands-on demonstrations allowed student teams to build and test a truss bridge that spanned two eight-foot tables, experience the cockpit of a flight simulator, and understand how to measure, reduce and control noise in our environment. Students also helped calculate how to launch objects from a catapult-type device with precision and learned about SPARK-e, a Solar Power Assisted Research Kar-electric. SPARK-e, built by Owego Apalachin Central School District students, is a non-polluting solar-electric powered vehicle that encourages students to become involved in electrical and mechanical engineering. Each project sharpened the students' problem-solving skills, while developing their abilities to work and communicate in teams. All of the demonstrations mixed various disciplines in engineering from systems design, software, civil, mechanical, electrical and aeronautics to environmental and safety -- to name just a few areas in the engineering field.

Lockheed Martin hosted the event in conjunction with its Coalition for Better Schools, an education partnership for improving education. The coalition's objective is to improve science and technology education by developing programs that stimulate creativity, team building and problem-solving skills in math and science. Comprised of 12 area school districts, the coalition was established with the Tioga County schools in 1990, and today includes Broome County.

Founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers, National Engineers Week is dedicated to increasing public awareness and appreciation of engineers and to encouraging pre-college interest in science, technology and engineering. It is celebrated annually by thousands of engineers, engineering students, teachers and leaders in government and business. For more information on National Engineers Week, visit its Web site at www.eweek.org.