SolidWorks supports national student contest

Software donation to help fuel engineering enthusiasm for students solving real-world challenges.

High school students competing to design products that will help people with disabilities enter or advance in the workplace will be able to use free licenses of SolidWorks 3D CAD software this year.

SolidWorks' sponsorship means contestants in the National Engineering Design Challenge (NEDC) will have access to easy-to-learn software that lets them design everything from mechanical filing systems to lifts that load employees from wheelchairs onto lawn mowers.

Coordinated by the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) and the Javits-Wagner-O'Day (JWOD) program, NEDC fuels student enthusiasm in engineering by immersing them in real-world challenges that people with disabilities face every day.

Beginning in September, students form a team and either choose the problem they want to address or tackle one suggested by competition staff.

Students must then interview people with disabilities to learn exactly what their challenges are, and what suggested solutions they have.

Students then design and build a working prototype that a panel of judges will determine merits invitation to the final round in February during National Engineering Week in Washington, DC.

"Students don't have a ton of time to waste learning complex software, and teachers aren't going to use CAD software if it requires 20 hours of training," said Leann Yoder, executive director of JETS.

"SolidWorks is intuitive so students can begin working on their project immediately".

"Participating in the contest and using tools like SolidWorks gives students a jump start on how all of this engineering applies down the road".

More than 1,000 students in nearly 50 schools competed last year, and Yoder expects those numbers to increase substantially this year.

Last year's first place entry was an ergonomic, electronic box opener that reduced pressure and increased safety for users.

Other projects earning accolades included an all-purpose photoelectric counter used in manufacturing facilities and a gripping device that lets users pick up items from the floor/ground or on shelves without suffering from repetitive stress injuries.

"Real-world experience is a powerful means of attracting students to productive engineering careers," said Marie Planchard, SolidWorks' director of education.

"The JWOD/JETS NEDC competition is a terrific opportunity for students to design products that could really make a difference".

"We're proud to support such an important program that makes teaching engineering design concepts affordable and meaningful to all students.".

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