October 2000 
Students explore the world of civil engineering By Amanda Tobin Schleef, KEET-TV Director of Community Relations and Outreach
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H ave you ever wondered how Fernbridge was built back in the early 1900s? Do you know why Ruth Dam is significant to our local communities? Seventh and eight-grade students will answer some of those questions this fall through a public television driven education project called Building Big. The Building Big project is a partnership between KEET-TV and the American Society of Civil Engineers aimed at encouraging students to become interested in math and science through civil engineering activities. Throughout September and October, professional engineers will visit junior high school classrooms for hands-on activities that demonstrate engineering concepts as well as discussions about engineering careers and local structures of interest. The local project was created in conjunction with the five-part PBS documentary series called Building Big (Tuesdays in October at 8 p.m. on KEET-TV) that will explore how engineers create the world's megastructures including dams, tunnels, skyscrapers, bridges, and domes. Five local junior high school students will also co-host a local documentary (Tuesday, November 14 at 8 p.m. on KEET-TV) that will explore some of the North Coast's most well-known engineering projects such as Fernbridge, Ruth Dam, and the deepening of Humboldt Bay. Classrooms are also participating in a Concrete Cylinder Building Contest and students may compete individually in an Engineering Wonder Essay Contest that requires students to investigate the social, economic, and environmental impacts of a local structure of their choice. The Building Big project will conclude with a Build-A-Thon on November 11 at the Bayshore Mall where students and their families will test their knowledge of engineering concepts, meet local civil engineers, and participate in contests to build miniature structures. National funding for Building Big has been provided by a grant from WGBH. Local funding has been provided by Mercer-Fraser Company, Clemens Construction, SHN Consulting Engineers and Geologists, the American Society of Civil Engineers North Coast Branch, City Garbage Company of Eureka, Keenan Supply, Spencer Engineering, Omsberg & Company, and other generous donors. For more information about the Building Big project, please contact Amanda Tobin Schleef, KEET-TV's Director of Community Relations and Outreach, at 707-445-0813.
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