11 Dec 2015

Putnam Museum in Davenport, Iowa hosting 64 FIRST LEGO League teams competing to qualify for the State Championship along with 33 FIRST LEGO League Junior Teams with Expos

By Christine Cournoyer

FIRST ® LEGO® League: Come see Local Children Aged 9 to 14 Apply Research and Robotics To Explore the hidden but fascinating world of trash, from collection, to sorting, to smart production and reuse  with FIRST ® LEGO® League "TRASH TREK?" Challenge. The must also invent a solution to help our trash problem and create their own LEGO MINDSTORMS robot to accomplish trash-themed "missions" on a playing field, and show how well they practice FRIST LEGO League Core Values.


FIRST ® LEGO® League Junior: Come see Local Children Aged 6 to 9 discover the hidden (or not so hidden) world of trash exploring the real-world theme of sustainability. Teams will learn about simple machines as they display a model they built of LEGO elements with a motorized part. They will illustrate and present information through a Show Me Poster during the FIRST LEGO League Junior Expos.

The non-profit Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is proud to be the organizer for the 8th annual event hosted at the Putnam Museum & Science Center in Davenport.  Since 2009 when the first QC Tournament was held in Davenport with 13 teams, the program has continued to grow. In 2015-2016, there are 13 FIRST Robotic events being held in the Quad Cities reaching over 150 teams with 1,400 K-12 students supported by 300+ volunteers.

This is a fast-paced, high energy event that will be enjoyed by all ages and expose everyone to the exciting world of robots, engineering, computer program, creative problem solving and most importantly, TEAMWORK!

The events are free and open to the public.  Further information including a listing of 97 teams is available at:  http://www.qcesc.org/FLL/FLL-QC-Davenport-Coaches.html

Background:
Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $22 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for Grades 4-8; and FIRST LEGO League Junior (FLL Jr.) for Grades K-3 Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. Today, over 400,000 students in 87+ countries participate in FIRST. To learn more about FIRST, go to www.usfirst.org.

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is in its 53rd year of operation as a non-profit, umbrella organization representing ~20+ engineering, science and technical societies in the Quad City area with approximately 3,000 associated professional members.  The QCESC mission is "To Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in Quad City Region and To Encourage and support students to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields"..  Further information available at www.qcesc.org.

# # #
09 Oct 2015

QUAD CITY ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN FOR APPLICATION

By Christine Cournoyer

Scholarship application available for high school seniors interested in STEM degree

The Quad-City Engineering and Science Council, or QCESC, has released its 2016 scholarship application at www.qcesc.org . Applications must be mailed by January 22, 2016. The scholarships will be awarded at its 54th annual National Engineers Week banquet on February 25th, 2016. This will be the 22nd year of awarding college scholarships to encourage high school students planning to major in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Last year 12 scholarships were awarded worth $20,500. Funding comes from QCESC member societies, industry, and regional universities.

The scholarships are awarded based on academics, extracurricular activities including work and community service, and leadership experience. The applicants' essays on career goals and why they are interested in the STEM field round out how these applications are evaluated. High school seniors from Carroll, Henry, Knox, Lee, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties in Illinois; and Clinton, Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott counties in Iowa are eligible to apply.

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 30 technical societies in the Quad City region with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit organized in 1963. Its mission is to Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in the Quad City Region and to also support and encourage students in the Quad City Region to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields.

 

-###
03 Oct 2014

QUAD CITY ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN FOR APPLICATION for High School Seniors Interested in STEM-related Degrees

By Christine Cournoyer

The Quad-City Engineering and Science Council, or QCESC, has released its 2015 scholarship application at www.qcesc.org for students interested in studying a STEM-related degree at an accredited four-year college or university. (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics)  Applications must be postmarked by January 23, 2015. The scholarships will be awarded at its 53rd annual National Engineers Week banquet tentatively set for February 26, 2015.

2015 will mark the 21st year of the QCESC awarding scholarships to encourage students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, related fields.  Last year 15 scholarships between $1000 and $3000 each totaling $24,000 were awarded.

These scholarships are awarded based on academics, extracurricular activities (which include work and community service), and leadership experience. An essay on career goals and why the applicant is interested in a STEM-related field is also required. High school seniors from Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, Whiteside, Carroll, Knox, Lee, Clinton, Scott, Muscatine or Louisa counties are eligible to apply. Additional requirements are on the application.

In addition to scholarships given by the QCESC and its member societies, scholarships will also be provided by the following Engineering Colleges:

  • Iowa State University (2 x $1,000)
  • University of Iowa (1 x $1,000)
  • University of Illinois - Chicago (1 x $1,000)
  • University of Wisconsin - Platteville (1 x $2,500)
  • Western Illinois University - Quad Cities Campus (1 x $1,000)
  • St. Ambrose University (1 x $2000)

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 36 technical societies in the Quad City region with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit organized in 1963. Its mission is to Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in the Quad City Region and to also support and encourage students in the Quad City Region to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields.

For more information or to download the scholarship form, visit us at www.qcesc.org .

-###-
30 Jul 2014

Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) hosting free Bridge Building Day Camp for students in grades 4-8

By Christine Cournoyer

The 2014 QCESC Bridge Building Camp is a free one day camp for students in grades 4-8 on Friday, August 8th from 8:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Alcoa Learning Center located at 4900 State Street, Bettendorf, Iowa.

After discussion and demonstrations on engineering, create problem solving and teamwork, students will have 3 hours to work together in teams of 2-4 to build a model bridge out of materials and tools that are provided. Teams can choose to test their bridge to determine the greatest support efficiency or not and keep what they have built.

Space is limited. Pre-registration is recommended at: www.qcesc.org.

###

05 Feb 2014

Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) hosting Quad Cities FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) Regional Qualifier Tournament for Grades 7-12

By Christine Cournoyer

On Saturday, February 8, 2014, the 3rd Annual Quad Cities FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) regional qualifier will be held at Pleasant Valley High School in Bettendorf, Iowa.  24 Teams from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin are scheduled to participate. Winning teams will be invited to participate at the State of Iowa FTC Championship being held on February 21st and 22nd in Coralville/Iowa City.

This event is free and open to the public.  People of all ages will enjoy this face-paced and exciting event which will showcase 7th-12th grade students' ability to design, build and program robots, use teamwork to build alliances and cooperate with other teams, apply creative problem solving to real-world math and science concepts and earn a place in the Iowa State FTC Championship.

Opening ceremonies will begin at 11:15 A.M., qualification matches will begin at 11:45 A.M. with semi-final and final matches beginning at approximately 4:30 P.M. A more detailed schedule of events, teams competing and more information can be found at our website, www.qcesc.org.

For further information, please contact Pat Barnes at barnespatricko@johndeere.com or (563) 370-5513.

Background of FIRST® Tech Challenge:
http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/ftc/

FTC is designed for students in grades 7-12 to compete head to head, using a sports model. Teams are responsible for designing, building, and programming their robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams. The robot kit is reusable from year-to-year and is programmed using a variety of languages. Teams, including coaches, mentors and volunteers, are required to develop strategy and build robots based on sound engineering principles. Awards are given for the competition as well as for community outreach, design, and other real-world accomplishments.

Students get to:

  • Design, build, and program robots
  • Apply real-world math and science concepts
  • Develop problem-solving, organizational, and team-building skills
  • Compete and cooperate in alliances and tournaments
  • Qualify for over $13 million in college scholarships
  • Earn a place in the World Championship

 

Quad City Engineering and Science Council:

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 36 technical societies in the Quad City area with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit and is actively seeking new society members as well as additional corporate sponsors.

The QCESC is in it's 52nd year of operation and annually sponsors events such as the National Engineers Banquet, the Engineering and Scientist of The Year Awards, scholarships to local high school students, the President's Reception for local Society President's and provides judges and volunteers for the local STEM activities including FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, Battle of the Bridges, QC Tech Challenge, Mousetrap Car Race, and the Kids Engineering Camp.

More information about the QCESC can be found at: www.qcesc.org

# # #

03 Feb 2014

Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) Invites Public to its 52nd Annual Banquet

By Christine Cournoyer

The 52nd Annual Banquet of the Quad City Engineering & Science Council will be held on Thursday, February 20th at The Lodge Hotel and Conference Center (900 Spruce Hills Drive, Bettendorf, Iowa) beginning at 5:00 P.M. with networking social hour, silent auction, displays, dinner, Order of the Engineer Inductions, scholarship presentations to high school students, annual awards and keynote speaker Donald Bossi, President of FIRST (an acronym for "For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, www.usfirst.org) .

 

The QCESC Annual Awards include Society of the Year, Junior and Senior Engineer and Scientist of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, STEM Teacher of the Year and STEM Volunteer of the Year.

 

This banquet is held during National Engineers Week (www.eweek.org), and everyone is cordially invited to attend this premier, annual event to celebrate, network and pay tribute to the great Engineering and Science Professionals and Educators we have in the Quad City Region.  This includes supporting the next generation of Engineering and Science Professionals through supporting students with outreach to provide them with real world experiences.

During the social hour, there will be be silent auction and a number of displays expected from technical societies, Colleges & Universities, and student displays including from Project Lead the Way along with student teams from each of the four, FIRST® Robotics programs supporting students age 6-18 (K-12) .

To pre-register, request to have a display or donate to the silent auction, visit our website: www.qcesc.org. Reservations and payment is due by Noon on Tuesday, February 18th. No late reservations will be allowed and we will not accept payment at the door.

Schedule of Events:

5:00 PM         Networking Social with cash bar with silent auction and displays

6:00 PM         Seating for dinner with opening remarks and pledge of allegiance

6:10 PM         Plated Dinner with Dessert

6:30 PM         Order of the Engineer 2014 Inductions (during dessert)

6:45 PM         Program with Awards and Scholarships

7:15 PM         Keynote Speaker:  Donald Bossi, President of FIRST

8:15 PM         End of the Event

Note:  The cash bar will be available throughout the event.

Keynote Speaker:  Donald E. Bossi, President,  FIRST Speaking On:  "How do you spell success? F-a-i-l-u-r-e"

As President of FIRST, successful technology executive Donald E. Bossi brings deep technical and management skills to the organization. Bossi, who has excelled in a 20-year career with several high technology companies, primarily in the fiber optics field, is now anxious to give back and help develop the next generation of innovators.

Starting his career as a research scientist, first at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and then at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), Bossi was a part of an advanced project at UTRC which was acquired by JDS Uniphase (JDSU) and he moved to the new company. After a series of promotions at JDSU, he became Vice President and General Manager for JDSU Electro-Optics Products. The Division grew tenfold during his involvement there. Bossi next served as Group President of JDSU Active Components Group for two years, and then as Group President, JDSU Transmission Products Group for two years. In 2005, Bossi joined Technology Ventures Partners to work with their high-tech portfolio companies. While at the venture group, he served as the CEO of Aegis Lightware, Inc. and then as CEO of Inlet Technologies, positioning the company for a beneficial acquisition by Cisco. Most recently, Bossi served as the COO of CIDRA Holdings in Wallingford, Conn.

Bossi is the holder of four U.S. patents and author of numerous technical presentations. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and has completed executive education courses at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He served on the Boards of Directors of several privately held companies, and is also a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

About FIRST®

Accomplished inventor Dean Kamen founded FIRST® (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) in 1989 to inspire an appreciation of science and technology in young people. Based in Manchester, N.H., FIRST designs accessible, innovative programs to build self-confidence, knowledge, and life skills while motivating young people to pursue opportunities in science, technology, and engineering. With support from over 200 of the Fortune 500 companies and more than $19 million in college scholarships, the not-for-profit organization hosts the FIRST® Robotics Competition (FRC® ) for students in Grades 9-12; FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC® ) for Grades 7-12; FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL® ) for Grades 4-8; and Junior FIRST® LEGO® League (Jr.FLL®) for Grades K-3. Gracious Professionalism® is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

For the 2013 - 2014 season, FIRST will reach 350,000 students in 80 countries supported by more than 130,000 volunteers and more than 3,5000 Sponsors which locally includes John Deere and Rockwell Collins.  In Iowa & Illinois, there are an estimated 12,000+ students participating on FIRST Teams.

Quad City Engineering and Science Council:

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 36 technical societies in the Quad City area with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit and is actively seeking new society members as well as additional corporate sponsors.

The QCESC is in it's 52nd year of operation and annually sponsors events such as the National Engineers Banquet, the Engineering and Scientist of The Year Awards, scholarships to local high school students, the President's Reception for local Society President's and provides judges and volunteers for the local STEM activities including FIRST LEGO League, FIRST Tech Challenge, Battle of the Bridges, QC Tech Challenge, Mousetrap Car Race, and the Kids Engineering Camp.

More information about the QCESC can be found at: www.qcesc.org

# # #

27 Jan 2014

7th Annual Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) All Ages Bridge Building Contest this Friday or Saturday at the Putnam Museum

By Christine Cournoyer

Reminder:  There is still time to pre-register and participate in the 7th Annual QCESC & ASCE Battle of the Bridge Contest this coming Friday or Saturday(January 31st or February 1st) at the Putnam Museum in Davenport.  This is a very fun, very well run event for all ages.  Currently we have 4 openings on Friday & 24 openings on Saturday.   The event webpage is updated regularly to show the teams that have signed up and the current number of openings.  Teams can continue to pre-register until we are full.  No pre-work required to participate.  All of the necessary materials and tools are provided along with support from local engineers including members from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).

Complete event details including the on-line pre-registration form which only takes a few minutes to fill out are available at:

http://www.qcesc.org/Bridge_Building/Battle%20of%20Bridges.htm 

All ages of participates are welcome. A team may consist of one, two, three orfour people. All members of the team must be signed up on the registration form. Teams will be categorized as follows:

  • Elementary (grades 4-6)
  • Middle School (grades 7-8)
  • High School (grades 9-12)
  • College (Ages 18-22, or enrolled in post-secondary degree program)
  • Family (any combination - kids, adults, seniors)

If you have any questions, please contact If you have any questions, please contact e-mail Jeff Melvin or The Putnam Museum's Alice Loff.

Other Upcoming QCESC Events:

  • ·          31Jan - Deadline for submitting a nomination for the annual ESC Awards including STEM Teacher of the Year along with the Engineer and Scientist of the Year.  
    Link to further information Awards will be announced at the annual QCESC Banquet scheduled for 20Feb with further details to be announced.
  • ·          8 Feb - 3rd Annual Quad City FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Regional Qualifer with 24 Teams with students age 14-18 from 3 States including 7 from the Illinois Quad Cities scheduled to participate.  Volunteers are needed to support the event with no previous experience required for many of the positions.  High school and college students are welcome to volunteer along with adults. Link to Volunteer (all Iowa events)  Volunteers are also being sought for the State of Iowa Championship in Iowa City on Feb 22 and the new North Super Regional in Iowa City on  3-5Apr with teams from 13 states competing. 

    We plan to make volunteer assignments this week for the 8Feb QC event so register to volunteer soon.  We will continue to accept volunteers until we are full.
14 Jan 2014

Quad City Engineering and Science Council Award Nominations Due By January 31, 2014

By Christine Cournoyer

The Quad City Science and Engineering Council is Accepting Nominations for 2014 Awards through January 31, 2014. The 6 award categories are: Junior Engineer (less than 36 years old), Senior Engineer (36 years old or greater), Junior Scientist (less than 36 years old), Senior Scientist (36 years old or greater), Lifetime Achievement Award and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Teacher of the Year. Any technical society, business, organization, or individual may submit as many nominations as they wish. The awards will be announced at the 52nd Annual National Engineers Week Banquet tentatively scheduled for February 20, 2014.  The nomination form and more information can be found on our website:www.qcesc.org

Scholarship Applications Available for High School Seniors interested in STEM Degree Due January 17, 2014

The Quad-City Engineering and Science Council, or QCESC, has released its 2014 scholarship application at www.qcesc.org.  Applications must be mailed by January 17, 2014. The scholarships will be awarded at its 52nd annual National Engineers Week banquet on February 20th. Last year 11 scholarships were awarded worth $18,000.

These scholarships are awarded based on academics, extracurricular activities (which include work and community service), and leadership experience. An essay on career goals and why the applicant is interested in a STEM-related field is also required.

High school seniors from Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties in Illinois; and Clinton Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott counties in Iowa are eligible to apply. For more information and to download the form, please visit www.qcesc.org

04 Dec 2013

QUAD CITY ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN FOR APPLICATION

By Christine Cournoyer

Scholarship application available for high school seniors interested in STEM degree.

The Quad-City Engineering and Science Council, or QCESC, has released its 2014 scholarship application at www.qcesc.org. Applications must be mailed by January 17, 2014. The scholarships will be awarded at its 52nd annual National Engineers Week banquet on February 20th. 

2014 will mark the 20th year of the QCESC awarding scholarships to encourage students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, related fields. Last year 11scholarships were awarded worth $18,000.

These scholarships are awarded based on academics, extracurricular activities (which include work and community service), and leadership experience. An essay on career goals and why the applicant is interested in a STEM-related field is also required. High school seniors from Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties in Illinois; and Clinton Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott counties in Iowa are eligible to apply.

2014 Scholarships Provided by QCESC Engineering College partners include :
• Iowa State University (2 x $1,000)
• University of Iowa (1 x $1,000)
• University of Illinois - Chicago (1 x $1,000)
• University of Wisconsin - Platteville (1 x $2,500)
• Western Illinois University - Quad Cities Campus (1 x $1,000)

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 36 technical societies in the Quad City region with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit organized in 1963. Its mission is to Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in the Quad City Region and to also support and encourage students in the Quad City Region to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields.

For more information or to download the scholarship form, visit us at www.qcesc.org .

-###-

15 Oct 2013

QUAD CITY ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE COUNCIL SCHOLARSHIPS OPEN FOR APPLICATION

By Christine Cournoyer

Scholarship application available for high school seniors interested in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) degree



The Quad-City Engineering and Science Council, or QCESC, has released its 2014 scholarship application at www.qcesc.org Applications must be mailed by January 18, 2014. The scholarships will be awarded at its 52nd annual National Engineers Week banquet on February 20th. This will the 20th year of awarding scholarships to encourage students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math or STEM. by awarding scholarships. Last year 11 scholarships were awarded worth $18,000.

 

The scholarships are awarded based  on academics, extracurricular activities including work and community service, and. leadership experience. The applicants essays on career goals and why they are interested in the STEM field rounded out how these applications are evaluated. High school seniors from Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties in Illinois; and Clinton Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott counties in Iowa are eligible to apply.

 

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 36 technical societies in the Quad City region with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit organized in 1963. Its mission is to Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in the Quad City Region and to also support and encourage students in the Quad City Region to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields.

Subscribe & Listen to Reader Podcasts

On Stands Now

 

Tagged Content

Two Ways to Subscribe

1. Subscribe to free weekly e-mail content updates.

You'll get both the current official narrative challenge and What's Happenin' in the Quad Cities.
(Did you know we publish a new Amy Alkon Advice Goddess, Real Astrology, Red Meat cartoon and RCR Crossword every week?) 

* indicates required

View previous campaigns.

2. Get 12 monthly issues mailed first class for $48

Get 12 issues mailed monthly for $48 per year.

Get the printed Reader edition mailed to you (or anyone you want) first-class for 12 months for $48.
$24 goes to postage and handling, $24 goes to keeping the doors open!

Click this link to Subscribe now.