In celebration of National Engineers Week (Feb. 16-22, 2014) Illinois Institute of Technology’s Rice Campus was transformed into a hive of activity for the young mind. E-Week began in 1951 as a way to call attention to the contributions to society that engineers make. It is also a time for engineers to emphasize the importance of STEM education for young minds.

Armour College of Engineering (ACE) presented kids with interactive activities to teach them about the many different engineering fields. Visitors could play with toys that used electroencephalography (EEG), technology that measures electrical signals from the brain, to levitate a ball through obstacles by focusing your mind. Kids were also challenged to build bridges made out of plastic straws and pieces of tape. They then tested their bridge designs by seeing how much weight they can hold. Another engineering challenge was to complete an electrical circuit that would cause the same number to show up on two displays by connecting a number of wires on a circuit board. Attendees also learned about energy with a small wind turbine that was on display that would charge a light bulb when the rotor was spinning.

Many ACE student organizations helped with the event including American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

Other highlights of the day’s activities included the LEGO Robotics display, power-generating bicycles, and the Mr. Freeze Cryogenics Show.

See more photos here.