Big Bridge Project Makes a Difference in STEM Education

Boys and Girls Lifting Bridge

The Big Bridge.  If you are creating a freshman engineering experience or  a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) lesson with brainstorming, designing, testing, redesigning,  hands-on building and ofcourse making certain students and instructors have fun, then the Big Bridge could be your next project.

The Big  Bridge project, developed by Richard “Corporal Willy” Williams was center stage at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, last month, when groups of boys and girls built the Big Bridge.

After designing and analyzing the models in SOLIDWORKS,  the prototype was complete in Corporal Willy’s backyard.

Bridge in the Back Yard

Document.pdf Corporal Willy’s Big Bridge  Solution in Designing Big Bridge

Richard Williams at ASME Awards Dinner

Richard Williams received the ASME Las Vegas Section Award Engineering Achievement Award this year for all he has done to inspire students of all ages through engineering activities.  His wife has seen the kitchen, garage and back yard turn into a machine shop and a STEM outreach center for students and teachers. Richard, you are the SolidWorks mentor.

Pasta-Bridge-Engineering-Students-Richard-Williams-630x420

If you don’t have enough space to build a Big Bridge, don’t worry.  Corporal Willy has created great exercises with pasta.   Barilla Pasta delivered a truck of boxed spaghetti to his house to help supply the materials to all the students he mentors with his pasta bridge project.  Thank you for sharing with the SolidWorks Community.  Marie

 

 

Marie Planchard

Marie Planchard

Senior Director, Early Engagement, 3DEXPERIENCE Works at Dassault Systemes
Marie Planchard is an education and engineering advocate. As Senior Director of Education & Early Engagement, SOLIDWORKS, she is responsible for global development of content and social outreach for the 3DEXPERIENCE Works products across all levels of learning including educational institutions, Fab Labs, and entrepreneurship.
Marie Planchard