Standardization News

2011 Initiative Underscores Benefits of ASTM Student Membership

Jumpstart Your Career, ASTM International's 2011 academic outreach campaign, will provide new opportunities for students to increase their knowledge of standards and develop critical technical skills prior to entering the workforce.

ASTM International President James A. Thomas commented, "For today's college students, the competition for new career positions is as fierce as ever. To gain an edge, students need to expand their classroom knowledge with real-world skills that employers covet. A working knowledge of standards is much more than a resume builder; it gives students a solid technical foundation for the start of their careers. Through ASTM student membership and the Jumpstart Your Career campaign, students can gain valuable firsthand experience with standards, increasing their skills and enhancing their marketability to employers."

Highlighting the ASTM Jumpstart Your Career initiative will be:

The ASTM International Student Video Contest, in which students can produce a video illustrating the application of an ASTM standard and compete for cash awards;Project grants to help fund graduate or senior student design projects that contain an ASTM International standards component;Podcast interviews with students discussing the benefits of their involvement with ASTM standards;ASTM International summer internship opportunity through the 2011 Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program; andOngoing college and university campus visits and training sessions by ASTM members and staff.

Video Contest Focuses on Student Use of ASTM Standards

As part of the Jumpstart Your Career campaign, students can win cash awards by demonstrating their ability to utilize ASTM standards. The ASTM International Student Video Contest provides a forum for students to showcase their ability to apply ASTM standards in a class project, lab environment or other application. Students must create a video highlighting the use of ASTM standards and submit it to ASTM International for judging. Cash awards will be given to the first-, second- and third-place winning videos. Further information is available at www.astm.org/campus.

Graduate or Senior Design Project Grants

Recognizing that students at some universities may need financial assistance to complete their graduate or senior capstone design projects, ASTM International will continue to offer a limited number of $500 project grants in 2011. To be eligible for the grant, student design projects must contain an ASTM International standards component. For more information and important dates, and to download an application form, visit www.astm.org/studentmember/projectGrants.html.

Connect with ASTM and Fellow Students on ASTM Campus, Facebook and Twitter

Students are encouraged to visit "ASTM International Campus" at www.astm.org/campus, the academic area of the ASTM website. ASTM Campus contains a wealth of information and educational resources, and students can sign up for ASTM student membership online. Additional information and links can also be found at the "ASTM Student Member Fan Page" on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ASTMStudentMembers and Twitter at twitter.com/ASTMStudentFans.

For more information on the Jumpstart Your Career campaign and various programs available to students, visit www.astm.org/campus, or contact James Olshefsky, director of external relations, ASTM International (phone: 610-832-9714; jolshefs@astm.org).

First launched in 2003, the ASTM student membership category has grown to include nearly 5,000 college and university students from more than 70 countries around the world. ASTM student membership is offered at no cost to full-time graduate or undergraduate students and includes a wide range of benefits that facilitate student exposure to the field of standards. Further information is available at www.astm.org/studentmember.