OMP Outreach Program

Program and Accomplishments

The OMP was conceived to serve economic and broader needs of the public, and these needs extend beyond physical infrastructure. Other priorities include advancement of traditionally underrepresented groups in engineering and construction; improved educational opportunities that draw students to technical career paths; internship programs that expose students to vocational, professional and entrepreneurial opportunities; and communication with the public about the benefits of OMP.

Sited at a preeminent engineering university, CEAT, in partnership with the UIUC College of Engineering, has a team of outreach and education professionals who have delivered effective programs for diversity elements of OMP and educational programs for high school, university and continuing education target groups. UIUC has several educational and diversity initiatives—including Mc4West in collaboration with the City of Chicago—which have served as models and partnerships for the OMP outreach program.

The CEAT outreach accomplishments include:

Technology Transfer to OMP through the Brown Bag Lecture Series
Leading lectures and activities for the UIUC Science and Engineering Discovery Program
Exhibiting at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Profession Development Fair
Encouraging underrepresented student groups to study civil engineering at the undergraduate level
Student Internship Program that drew three undergraduate UIUC students who were placed with OMP Affiliated Engineering Companies for summer internships
Hosting minority high school students and middle school students from Chicago during their visits to the College of Engineering at UIUC
Participated in the UIUC Girls' Adventures in Math, Engineering and Science (GAMES) camp which brought 7th-, 8th- and 9th-grade girls to campus to learn about structural engineering and computer science
Maintenance of an effective website for public awareness of CEAT research and activities at http://ceat.illinois.edu