Recent efforts have included outdoor classroom construction at local schools, construction of a shelter for battered women, and cleanup work at local historical sites. CE conducts an intensive and wide-ranging outreach program, including three annual statewide technical conferences, as well as several continuing education programs. The Virginia Transportation Conference celebrated its 50th anniversary in the year 2000, attracting over 800 registrants from Virginia and surrounding states. Environment Virginia, in its ninth year, has become the predominant environmental conference of the Commonwealth. Another new outreach activity is the VMI Engineering Camp, now planning for its fourth year, under the leadership of Associate Professor Ned Riester '78.
Campers live in the barracks and have daily educational and entertaining activities.
Upperclass cadets serve as camp counselors, and the activities are directed by faculty members from the engineering and science departments. CE faculty teach popular liberal arts science electives in physical, historical, and environmental geology. For six years the department has offered an academic minor in Environmental Leadership and Management in an effort to promote the study of science across all VMI majors. CE is seeking outside support to endow the ELM program permanently. Ongoing and planned innovations in the CE department include increasing the use of information technology in communications, laboratory work, and classroom instruction.