As Design News has been reporting this week, from Feb. 22 through Feb. 28, engineers throughout the US are celebrating Engineers Week. The celebration extends beyond the country’s borders, and even beyond the Earth itself; the crew of the International Space Station joined the festivities, too.

The annual observance, which began in 1951, corresponds with the week of George Washington’s birthday. Washington is considered by some to have been an engineer himself, at least to the extent that the engineering profession existed in the 1700s. He was definitely an advocate for engineering; he created what would later become the US Army Corps of Engineers on his first day as commander of the revolutionary forces in the country’s war for independence.

Other countries celebrate engineers on different dates. Not content with just one week, Canadians will be celebrating National Engineering Month in March. On the other hand, UNESCO’s Africa Engineering Week is only four days long (Sept. 1 – 5). In some Latin American countries, Engineers’ Day is celebrated on July 20. However, other countries in the region seem not to have gotten the memo: in Cuba, it’s Jan. 11; in Mexico, July 1; in Colombia, Aug. 17; and in Venezuela, it’s Oct. 28. In Argentina, there are actually two separate celebrations, 10 days apart: Engineering Day on June 6 and Engineers’ Day on June 16. In many countries, Engineers’ Day corresponds with the birth of an important national engineering figure. For example, Engineers’ Day in Iran (Feb. 24) is connected with Nasir al-Din al-Tusi, a Persian scholar who lived in the 1200s. Similarly, Engineers’ Day in India (Sept. 15) is celebrated on the birthday of Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, a noted civil engineer who lived from 1860 to 1962.

One of the major goals of Engineers’ Week is to introduce young people to engineering. Toward this end, the DiscoverE website offers a variety of hands-on activities for students from pre-school through high school. It even offers suggestions for trips and destinations (some of which were mentioned by Elizabeth Montalbano in a recent Design News article).

MORE FROM DESIGN NEWS: 10 Places to Visit to Interest Your Kids in STEM

In particular, many events are focused on getting girls involved in engineering. For example, on Feb. 28, our local community college will be offering a STEM Day for Girls. The event, geared toward girls in grades 7 through 12, will be headlined by Dr. Maryellen Giger, a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Giger is a specialist in digital medical imaging, computer-aided diagnosis, and quantitative image analysis. Throughout the day, students will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on demonstrations on topics including infrared astronomy, surgical technology, nanotechnology, and laser treatment of materials. There will also be seminars for parents on subjects such as how to ensure your child is ready for college, and the all-important question of how to pay for college. The event will close with a speech from Congressman Bob Dold (R-Ill).

Events like this are important. As I argued in a Design News article last year, increasing the participation of women and girls in the engineering profession is not simply a question of social justice or equal opportunity; it’s something that could actually improve the practice of engineering. But perhaps more importantly for the participants, events like this are a lot of fun; my daughter volunteered at last year’s event, and had a great time helping girls build and test LEGO cars.

MORE FROM DESIGN NEWS: Why We Need More Women in Engineering

Those of us who are engineers are lucky enough to be members of a profession in which we can solve interesting problems, learn new things every day, and make a real difference in the world. If you’re glad to be an engineer, why not share your excitement with a young person? There are many opportunities to do so, both during and after Engineers’ Week. In this way, you can help strengthen our profession for the future.

Dave Palmer, P.E., is a licensed professional metallurgical engineer specializing in failure analysis and prevention. He earned his B.S. degree at the Illinois Institute of Technology, and his M.S. degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.