March 01, 2025

Mizzou’s chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (Mizzou ASCE) hosts Kids Day to introduce K-12 students to civil engineering. 

For the second year in a row, Mizzou ASCE hosted Kids Day and welcomed K-12 students onto campus to learn more about civil engineering.

“It’s an opportunity for us college students to give back to the community that has supported us and to inspire the next generation of engineers,” Joella Melegrito, director of community outreach, said. “By showing kids what civil engineers do, we hope to spark curiosity and excitement about how engineering shapes the world around them.”

Students attending the event got to explore different fields within civil engineering, including geotechnical, structural, transportation and environmental engineering. For the geotechnical demonstration, students saw firsthand how buildings respond to earthquakes. Structural engineering projects taught kids how to build stronger bridges. The transportation activity encouraged participants to build safer roads. And exploring environmental engineering challenged attendees to design a water filter.

Melegrito says her favorite was the structural engineering event because she could see the students getting more excited as their bridges held more weight. But she also says that civil engineering is more than just bridges and roads.

“Civil engineering is about innovation, problem-solving and improving communities,” she said. “Younger students have such a natural curiosity, and their enthusiasm for learning is inspiring. When we engage with them, we’re not just teaching, but we’re also reminded why we’re passionate about engineering in the first place.

“These kids are the future builders, designers and problem-solvers of our world,” Melegrito said. “Knowing that we might play a small role in their journey is incredibly meaningful.”

Scroll to see photos from ASCE Kids Day 2025.

Photos taken by Mizzou ASCE members.