Three years ago, the ACEC Arizona board sat around a table grappling with a challenge that resonates across the country: too few students entering engineering programs, and too many graduates arriving in the workforce without the skills they need to succeed. At the time, they didn’t yet have a formal workforce development committee, but they knew they couldn’t stand by while the pipeline of future talent continued to shrink.
It was during the ACEC-Arizona annual Roads and Streets Conference that they asked a question that would change everything: How do we inspire students before they tune out math and science? Again and again, they heard the same insight: by ninth grade, it’s often too late to change a student’s path. If they wanted to make an impact, they had to reach students in middle school—while curiosity was still alive and possibilities felt limitless.
That was when we began to dream a little bigger. What if we could introduce students to engineering somewhere unforgettable—not in a classroom, but in a stadium? The idea sounded ambitious, maybe even unrealistic. But the then-Chairman, Greg Haggerty, had a vision that resonated with everyone: “You can’t have a Gameday without engineers.”
In the spring of 2023, under Greg’s leadership and with the dedication of countless volunteers, ACEC Arizona hosted the first STEM Gameday at Arizona State University’s Sun Devil Stadium. One hundred and twenty middle schoolers stepped onto the field and discovered that behind every scoreboard, bridge, and concrete beam are engineers who make it all possible. Many of those students left seeing engineering not as an abstract concept, but as a career they could picture themselves pursuing.
We didn’t stop there. In 2024, the newly formed Workforce Development and Education Outreach Committee, chaired by Nicolai Oliden, took the lead in scaling the event across all three of Arizona’s major universities. More than 1,500 students attended, and the energy was undeniable. In Nicolai’s words, “We’re building momentum here in Arizona. It’s not just about the kids—it’s about creating a community of professionals, students, and volunteers who are proud to shape the future.”
This year, the team refined the model to create an even more impactful experience, capping attendance to about 600 students per campus and mobilizing 200 volunteers statewide. None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary partnerships among member firms, public agencies like ADOT and MCDOT, university staff, and stadium managers who opened their doors to a new kind of learning.
One of the most powerful moments of every Gameday is watching a middle schooler connect with a college student volunteer—someone only a few years ahead of them—and then see that same college student network with a practicing professional. These peer-to-peer connections are a reminder that building the workforce of tomorrow is a shared responsibility.
STEM Gameday is more than an event. It’s a new tradition—one that reflects a commitment to giving back and investing in the next generation. And in Arizona, We’re just getting started. For years, ACEC Arizona has operated the Leadership in Engineering Administration Program (LEAP), which equips professionals with the tools to lead, mentor, and grow. Today, LEAP graduates and participants are stepping up to help expand STEM Gameday, ensuring that they are not only inspiring students but also cultivating the leaders who will guide them.
For any organization or chapter wondering whether you can do something similar, the advice is simple: just try it. Start with one school, one stadium, one day. You’ll be amazed at how quickly momentum builds—and you won’t be alone. Volunteers and organizers in Arizona are ready to share what they’ve learned every step of the way and are currently in the process of establishing pilot programs with other ACEC MOs utilizing a newly completed STEM Gameday Playbook.
he goal is to refine the Playbook with experiences from other States and refine it so anyone in the future could use this document to plan their events.
As engineers, we don’t just design roads and buildings. We design opportunities. And sometimes, those opportunities begin in a stadium where a young student learns, maybe for the first time, that the future they dream about is within reach. ■
About the Author
Chris Bridges is Executive Director of ACEC Arizona. With more than two decades of experience in transportation planning and infrastructure development, he advocates for workforce initiatives that advance the structural engineering profession. This editorial is published in collaboration with the CASE Coalition. (chris.bridges@acecaz.org)