Engineering Experiences showcases Rockwell Collins’ educational initiatives, offering students of all ages the opportunity to take part in experiences designed to take learning out of the textbooks and place it in their hands. These activities support classroom learning with interactive experiences and mentoring relationships with our employees and retirees.

The FIRST® Connection
The anchor of Engineering Experiences is a partnership with FIRST®, a nonprofit organization coordinating multinational programs that team professionals and young people to solve engineering design problems in intense and competitive ways. Our partnership includes team and tournament sponsorships, teacher training and rewards, and Rockwell Collins employee and retiree involvement. FIRST is present across the United States and around the globe, making these programs available to a growing number of students and professional mentors.

In FIRST® LEGO® League, our engineers assist elementary and middle school students to build unique robot inventions by using LEGO bricks and other elements such as sensors, motors and gears. We have committed to growing the number of FIRST LEGO teams in Iowa and in Rockwell Collins communities across the United States, to involve and inspire more students.

FIRST Tech Challenge, for high school students, combines the project approach of FIRST LEGO League with the excitement and innovation of FIRST robotics. Students work in teams to design, test and program larger-scale robots. Rockwell Collins supports teams and tournaments throughout Iowa. Our goal is to have FIRST Tech Challenge in every high school in Iowa. We have affirmed that support by becoming the Official Program Sponsor of FIRST Tech Challenge.

Engineers Week
Rockwell Collins is a proud supporter of Engineers Week (EWeek). We participate in EWeek activities across the country as a way to both recognize and reward our employees for their contributions, and as a way to encourage young people to consider engineering as a career. Formal activities include Introduce a Girl to Engineering and the 24-Hour Global Marathon – for, by and about women in engineering – as well as free, hands-on engineering activities in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City corridor, and our other locations.

Employee volunteers coordinate hands-on activities for k-12 students, mentor high school and college students, and engage math and science educators in special events during this week. In addition, we support the Future City Competition, which challenges seventh- and eighth-grade students from around the nation to team with engineer mentors to create – first on computer and then in large, three-dimensional models – their visions of the city of tomorrow. This team-based experience fosters engineering skills including teamwork, communication and problem-solving abilities while inspiring students to explore futuristic concepts and careers in engineering.

Project Lead the Way
Through partnerships with middle schools and high schools, Project Lead the Way pairs students with the most innovative and productive educators as they go through rigorous, relevant STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) course work. An engaging, hands-on curriculum encourages the development of problem-solving skills, critical thinking, creative and innovative reasoning, and a love of learning.

Team America Rocketry Challenge
The Team America Rocketry Challenge is the world's largest rocket contest, sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry. Students are encouraged to study math and science and pursue careers in aerospace through a competition that challenges teams to design, build and fly model rockets. Approximately 7,000 students from across the nation compete in the challenge each year, and winners are invited to participate in NASA advanced rocketry programs.

Career Awareness
Each year, 100 to 200 high school students shadow a Rockwell Collins professional for half a day as part of our job shadowing program, designed to introduce young people to potential careers. High school juniors and seniors can also learn how business operates and apply classroom concepts to real-world situations while exploring future careers through longer-term internships at Rockwell Collins facilities.

Other Experiences
Our employees work with students beyond the school day to mentor and support a variety of extracurricular activities and organizations, such as:

• Math Olympiad
• Real World Design Challenge 
• Invention Convention
• Young Astronauts Club
• Future Scientists and Engineers of America
• Junior Achievement
• A World in Motion
• Electrathon
• MATHCOUNTS
• Pen pal programs