The Kansas City Star reported that the doors are open to the new Kansas City Engineering Zone – KC EZ. The program is designed to be a space to create and innovate for Kansas City’s K-12 urban students.

The work shop on the University of Missouri – Kansas City campus is possible through a partnership with KC STEM Alliance, the generous assistance of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the support of KC EZ founding partners – U.S. Engineering, NNSA, Honeywell, BNIM, JE Dunn and Mark One Electric.

As The Star reports U.S. Engineering President Tim Moormeier is the project manager. An exerpt from the article:

Most of all, the zone means to draw more students into programs like the FIRST Robotics competition, free from any negative peer pressure, “in an environment where science and technology is celebrated,” said Tim Moormeier, president of U.S. Engineering Co. in Kansas City.

Moormeier, the project manager of KC EZ, was hooked on the robotics competition when he watched close-hand as his son competed on the successful Olathe Northwest High School team.

He saw how teams had to work like a business, creating and collaborating, beating “real-world deadlines” and building “real-world leadership,” Moormeier said.

“Every high school,” he said, should have “a FIRST Robotics team like every high school has a football team.”

Project Manager from @USEngineering calls all of us to mentor students! @PLTWorg @FIRSTweets pic.twitter.com/sOR4SollZ8

— KC STEM Alliance (@STEMKC) January 30, 2015