FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 12, 2014
Contact: Kevin Seals, chief environmental scientist
Hanson Professional Services Inc.
(217) 747-9222
kseals@hanson-inc.com
Students to attend U of I engineering event as part of Minority Participation Plan
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Approximately 35 students will attend this year’s Engineering Open House at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (U of I) Saturday, March 15, as part of the Minority Participation Plan implemented by the city of Springfield, Sangamon County and Hanson Professional Services Inc.
The local middle and high school students will leave for U of I at 8 a.m. from Pleasant Grove Baptist Church, located at 908 S. Martin Luther King Drive in Springfield, Ill. Once at the university, the students will tour U of I’s engineering facilities and will be able to view projects, presentations and more than 250 exhibits. Hanson is coordinating the event with Frontiers International Inc.’s Springfield club and will provide transportation and lunch.
The U of I visit is one opportunity for students provided by the Minority Participation Plan announced in December 2013. The city of Springfield, Sangamon County and Hanson are working together to identify and mentor minority youth in the fields of engineering and science. The goal of the plan is to foster interest in careers involving science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The program will provide opportunities through education, job training and internships. The plan is expected to cost $60,000 per year, with the amount divided equally among the city, the county and Hanson.
This is U of I’s 94th annual Engineering Open House, a two-day event led by U of I engineering students that features exhibits and competitions and draws thousands of visitors. For more information, visit www.eoh.ec.illinois.edu.
Hanson is a national, employee-owned consulting firm providing engineering, planning and allied services. The firm’s corporate headquarters is located at 1525 S. Sixth St., Springfield, IL 62703. The office may be reached by phone: (217) 788-2450 or fax: (217) 788-2503.
-30-