Engineering Expo is a daylong event designed to provide a tangible engineering experience for high school students from around the Midwest. Engineering Expo is the flagship program of Purdue Student Engineering Foundation (PSEF), which has existed annually since PSEF's formation in 1995.

Engineering Expo is organized by a team of PSEF members whose sole purpose is to coordinate this event. The Expo team is responsible for everything from selecting the theme of Expo, designing the formal and impromptu components, designing, printing, and sending the mailers, managing the space for Expo, making arrangements for food, and organizing parking, required materials, and personnel. All of the planning and preparation begins in the spring after the conclusion of one Expo, and continues through the fall and winter until the day of the next Expo, in April.

Expo is composed of two major components; the formal design project and the impromptu design competition. The formal design project is completed prior to Expo and is presented to a panel of judges on the day of Expo. This involves planning the project, creating a prototype model, and writing a detailed report. The impromptu design contest takes place during the day of Expo. Participants are required to solve a given problem with only simple materials provided to them. Examples include a penny launcher used to dispense ride fees and a peanut/popcorn launcher used in stadiums by venders. Students were given only basic materials such as wooden rods, bungee cords, tape, and misc. other parts to create and demonstrate their solution to the problem.

Perhaps the most valuable time for the participants is the free time that students have to interact and talk to the PSEF members. There are PSEF members around at all times who are happy to help the students with any problems they may have and answer any questions they may have about engineering and Purdue. Teams are placed based on scores in both the formal and impromptu competitions and the winners receive scholarships that are redeemable if they choose to pursue an engineering degree at Purdue University.

As we look to future Expos, we will continue to provide students with challenging projects that require basic engineering concepts, as well as further introduce them to Purdue University and its outstanding engineering program.