National Trends

The National Trends and Services facet is tasked with eliminating disparities by reducing barriers to resources through advocacy, education, and services.  Our chapters are empowered to raise their voices and transform the communities in which they work. The facet’s goals include increasing the number of sustainable and measurable programs; increasing collaborative partnerships; and extending our existing initiatives to include communities identified as having the greatest need.

Oakland County (MI) National Trends Initiatives

In 2018-19, National Trends collaborated with Services To Youth to develop a “What Is An Engineer” program to introduce 4th grade students to STEAM and educate the students on various engineering fields. The program showed how engineering is included in the Black Panther movie and instructed students on “how to build a boat” that would float holding the most vibranium (pennies).

Veterans, Voting, and Vaccines

What’s An Engineer Program
4th Graders at Rogers Elementary Learn Lessons from Wakanda

Fourth grade NSBE Jr. participating students at Pontiac’s Rogers Elementary were introduced to an interactive STEAM exercise, educating them about various engineering fields. The program highlighted the various ways that engineering was present in the fictional world of Wakanda as created for the movie Black Panther. A demonstration activity had students build boats that could float while carrying a load of the movie’s precious metal, vibranium (psst! they used pennies!)

Teams designing & building their boats, and the winners!