Online village helps kids explore sustainable cities

RESTON, VA. — Permeable pavement. Mixed use development. Solar Panels. An exciting green makeover on ASCEville features many sustainable technologies, giving kids a fun way to explore the relationship between the world we build and the natural environment. New video, fresh graphics and an interactive scavenger hunt appeal to kids’ natural curiosity and demonstrate ways civil engineering supports individual and community decisions to protect our urban landscape. The site is targeted to students in grades three through seven, but visitors of all ages will walk away with insights into technological solutions that improve our quality of life.

The new game teaches players about maintaining a healthy water supply, conserving energy, and preserving scarce resources. The 20 sustainable features show the technical solutions civil engineering provides to these challenges.

Teachers are encouraged to use the site to support their lessons on sustainability topics. A free companion poster, “What makes ASCEville Greenville?” is available for classroom use. All 20 features of the scavenger hunt are visible on the poster. It also contains two classroom activities to jump-start explorations of water management and recycling, as well as a profile of a young civil engineer who is positively impacting the world through his work as a bike trails engineer.

Originally launched in 2009, ASCEville is part of ASCE’s ongoing educational outreach program. Its fresh approach offers engaging graphics, interactive activities, and the compelling stories of young civil engineers. The site contains information about the history of civil engineering, its many disciplines, and offers suggestions about what kids can do to explore this career pathway before college. Parents, teachers, and engineers will come away from the site with a variety of valuable resources they can use to help them engage kids in conversations about civil engineering.

To visit ASCEville, go to www.asceville.org.