Garver engineers assist
local STEM studentsOVERLAND PARK — March 29, 2017 — Area high school students
have taken another step in their STEM development thanks to engineers from two
Garver offices. Partnering with Project Lead the Way (PLTW), one of the
nation’s largest providers of STEM programs, Garver worked with students from
Blue Valley Southwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, to supply them with
first-hand knowledge of potential engineering careers.
Garver engineers hosted students on field trips to its
Overland Park office, and then assisted them in model bridge building and in
developing innovative classroom design ideas. Blake Blakemore, a senior project
manager, and engineers Rachel Henkhaus, Ruili He, and Derek Butler, all of the
Kansas City, Missouri, office, helped students prepare for the Kansas Society
of Professional Engineers model bridge building competition. Then, Jennifer
Russell, a senior project manager in the Overland Park office, helped students
re-engineer their classroom space to fit the needs of each student who used the
room, while considering existing furniture and a vision for future classes.
Students then used their CAD knowledge to come up with a new space based on
those three elements.
“Garver has really offered a unique experience for our
kids,” said Cody Parks, A&E Design class teacher at Blue Valley Southwest.
“They helped us work through real world projects as well as the KSPE bridge
building contest. The experience the kids received was priceless. They really
got to see how an engineer approaches and solves problems. It really helps some
students solidify their career path in engineering.”
About Garver
Garver is an employee-owned multi-disciplined engineering,
planning, architectural, and environmental services firm, headquartered in
North Little Rock, Arkansas. With over 400 employees spread between 21 offices
in 10 states—including two in the Kansas City metro
area —Garver offers a wide range of services with a focus on aviation,
construction, facilities design, federal, power, transportation, survey, and
water projects. Engineering News-Record lists Garver on its prestigious
Top 500 Design Firms list, while Zweig Group consistently names Garver a Best
Firm to Work For. Garver will reach its 100th year of doing business in 2019.
For more information, visit www.GarverUSA.com.