To me, part of being a professional means sharing your knowledge with society. My experiences are move valuable if they are communicated and discussed with others. I have found that sharing my passion for engineering and space exploration is most rewarding when speaking to children. Kids have amazing elastic minds that have yet to develop preexisting theories that lead to stagnation in innovation and design. Every time I step into a classroom to do a presentation the kids come up with something I’ve never thought of before.
Our teachers in Canada do an excellent job but they cannot be experts at everything. They absolutely welcome specialists and enthusiast into their classroom to talk to the students about the subjects they are learning. This is an excellent way for professionals to give back to their community, for kids to learn, and for adults to get a little out of their comfort zone.
To truly know if you’ve mastered your craft, try explaining it to a know-it-all 12-year-old.
I encourage all my colleagues and engineering professionals at every level to get in touch with your local school board or science group. Volunteering your time is immensely rewarding for you and has the potential to change the course of a life, and community.
If you are in Alberta, check out the Alberta Science Network. They are always looking for speakers.