As executive director of the Sciencenter, Trautmann is acutely aware of the need to get children interested in science and technology at an early age. If grabbing them early is key, so is correcting perceptions, adds Ingraffea. Thanks to advertising and the media, misconceptions and ignorance abound when it comes to engineers and engineering. Engineers, when they're portrayed at all, are depicted as either boring nerds with pocket protectors or psychos with pent-up rage a la Michael Douglas in Falling Down. But Trautmann and Ingraffea are also paying special attention to techniques of presentation that have proven to appeal to their target groups, focusing on teamwork and cooperation rather than individual or competitive tasks.
Exhibits also feature women and minority engineers as role models.