Summer is winding down, the days are getting shorter, and bright yellow buses are once again plying the local roadways. A new school year dawns, filled with the promise of new subjects and old friends. Bring on the math and science!

Students get a first-hand look at the generators at the Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant
It’s exciting to see the renewed focus schools are placing on STEM curricula—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We enjoy working alongside local schools to bring math and science to life in meaningful ways for students.
- For Engineer’s Week, we take groups of juniors and seniors on public works facilities tours, explaining the inner workings and answering questions about engineering careers. A few of the places students have visited include CDOT’s Glenwood Canyon Command Center in the Hanging Lake Tunnel, the Glenwood Springs Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the Shoshone Hydroelectric Plant.
- It’s fascinating to hear what 8th grade boys know about engineering. SGM staff has participated in the Aspen Middle School’s Boys to Men program for a number of years, sharing engineering marvels and disasters to get them thinking about careers in engineering.
- 5th graders get a dose of water resource-related education, and a dousing from our employees, at the Ute Water Conservancy District’s Children’s Water Festival in Grand Junction, and the Annual Children’s Water Festival at the Fort Lewis College campus hosted by the Water Information Program.
- Our staff gets a kick out of sponsoring and mentoring local technology clubs. Hands-on projects like solar car racing, Lego® robotics programming, and RC car racing get students hooked while teaching 21st century skills.
Brr! You never know when the bucket will dump at the Water Wheel of Fortune.
Here at SGM, we’re fortunate to be able to put our passion for math and science to work every day, solving vexing problems for our local communities. That enthusiasm spills over when we get to interact with future students, and hopefully inspires them to be the next generation of civil engineers. See also: SGM 30 for 30 Week 7: Nurturing Future Engineers.