In recognition of National Engineers Week, Marshall Academy, a Governor’s STEM Academy, and George Mason University’s Volgenau School of Engineering will partner to host the third annual National Engineers Week Youth Conference beginning at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, at GMU’s Fairfax campus (4400 University Dr., Fairfax). The conference is designed for students in grades 7-12.

The conference will feature two keynote speakers: Atif Qarni, Virginia Secretary of Education, and Aisha Lawrey, director of engineering education with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Conference workshop sessions include a wide range of engineering fields including bioengineering, civil, mechanical, systems, as well as cybersecurity and computer science and technology.

Attendees will get insider tips on how to pursue an engineering degree and network with guest speakers and future engineers and information technology (IT) professionals. Hands-on activities include opportunities to design and build structures, learn about smart home technologies and wearable technologies, explore nanotechnology as it applies to prosthetics, apply computer science to solve problems in medicine, develop cybersecurity strategies that keep devices safe and observe robot and drone demonstrations.

Attendees should register online in advance. Parents are also asked to register with their child, as minors must be accompanied by their parent(s).