Creative Engineering Through AWWA

Borello explains how introducing designing techniques to children at a younger age can help them become engineer later in life. It is important for young students to realize that they are more familiar with engineering than they realize. AWWA does an amazing job familiarizing middle and high school students with engineering. In 2004, Tod Phinney started the Model Water Tower Competition (MWTC) in the Florida Section (FSAWWA). This competition allows students to be an engineer for a day and create from recycled materials a water tower that is judged as on cost, creativity, efficiency, hydraulics, and structure, among other things. Borello explains how MWTC expanded to his region when the University of Florida's student chapter of AWWA became involved by mentoring middle school students weekly during the brainstorming, construction, and implementation.