WARRENDALE, Pa., March 30, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Orange County Engineering Council has selected SAE International for a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Award for the A World in Motion® (AWIM) program.

One of SAE International's premiere pre-professional programs, AWIM focuses on introducing engineering concepts to K-12 students. A teacher-administered, industry volunteer-assisted program, AWIM brings STEM education to life. It helps to show the multitude of practical applications that scientific education holds for students.

AWIM incorporates the laws of physics, motion, flight and electronics into age-appropriate hands on activities that reinforce classroom curriculum. The program anchors textbook concepts to real events and careers. In a time where education strives to keep students competitive in a globally networked world, AWIM helps students to get excited and interested in STEM subjects and professions.

Corporations and their employees can influence the ways in which youth are prepared to meet the future by sponsoring schools in their communities. By doing so, schools can qualify to receive free or low cost AWIM Challenge kits. The award presented at the National Engineers Week Awards Banquet on February 21, recognized the Southern California Section of SAE International, specifically for a program completed at Monroe Middle School.

The Orange County Engineering Council is a non-profit organization that works to facilitate synergy between different engineering and scientific organizations and corporations. It hosts an annual awards banquet in February to recognize the many accomplishments in engineering in Orange County. SAE International is proud to be recognized by the council for its work with A World in Motion.

"We are honored to receive this award from the Orange County Engineering Council," Matthew Miller, director of the SAE Foundation and pre-college programs, said. "It helps to validate the important role that the AWIM curriculum plays in educating our young students in the STEM subjects."

In 2011, AWIM celebrates its 20th anniversary. From a modest beginning in a handful of classrooms AWIM has reached more than four million students since 1991. Click here to hear Miller talk about AWIM and its continued relevance as a proven and popular program that teaches STEM concepts to today's children.

SAE International is a global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries. SAE International's core competencies are life-long learning and voluntary consensus standards development. SAE International's charitable arm is the SAE Foundation, which supports many programs, including A World In Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series.

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Contact: Shawn Andreassi, SAE International, via pr@sae.org or 1-724-772-8522

SOURCE SAE International