Preparing Today’s Youth for the STEM Careers of Tomorrow

Across North Carolina and Virginia, Bohler’s teams proudly continue their participation in educational activities to boost the development of young students and aspiring engineers. Through hosting students within our offices, judging engineering competitions, and visiting classrooms, we’re bringing students into the land development industry and inspiring them to pursue STEM careers.

Bohler Charlotte recently welcomed a group of local high school students to the office for an insider’s look into a civil engineering career. Our team led the students through some basics of civil engineering and land planning, and then guided them in designing their own site plan. Using props and following basic restrictions, students designed plans for either a multifamily or commercial development.

The event was organized through Engineering Explorers Post 228, which allows 40-50 students per year the opportunity to visit professionals in a variety of engineering disciplines. Bohler has participated annually in this program for the past few years.

In Raleigh, Design Engineers Paul Asche and Will Swarigan joined Associate Charlie Yowell to judge a Rube Goldberg competition between introductory engineering students at two local community colleges, Wake Tech and Durham Tech.

Approximately 400 students, who are pursuing an associate degree in engineering, were challenged to create a machine to pop a balloon in five or more steps. The experience allowed them the opportunity to apply STEM concepts to real-world projects. Our team joined other industry professionals to determine the winner.

Bohler Associate Michael Birkland recently joined an engineering class at a Alexandria, VA high school to talk about the basics of civil engineering and land development. He shared about career opportunities in the industry, engaging students in conversation about some potential professional paths.

Mike also visited the Math Honors Society at Centreville High School. He used two of Bohler’s marquee projects to show how he uses math in his career. He also highlighted the importance of communication skills in our industry, demonstrating that at Bohler, we coordinate with many different stakeholders in the project development process.