WEST CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. - The American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM) is marking 2007 as the Year of the Student. As part of this initiative, ASTM will embark on a series of academic efforts aimed at building greater awareness and involvement in standardization among students and educators worldwide.

The multifaceted campaign expands on ASTM’s ongoing educational outreach programs, including its student membership category launched in 2003. The program will include: New product offerings aimed at helping professors incorporate ASTM standards in their course curricula; rollout of the newly designed ASTM Campus, a focused area of the ASTM Website for students and professors; college and university campus visits and training sessions by ASTM members and staff; and continued growth and promotion of student membership.

ASTM will also be a participating organization in the 2007 Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) Program. The WISE program offers eligible engineering students the opportunity to work a paid summer internship in Washington. Students learn how government officials make decisions on complex technological issues and how engineers can contribute to legislative and regulatory public policy issues.

“The overriding goal of all of our Year of the Student initiatives is to increase student awareness and exposure to the field of standards right now,” said Teresa Cendrowska, ASTM’s director of external relations. “Student membership in ASTM International is the perfect front row seat to the standardization process and enables students to enhance their knowledge, develop new skills, and better prepare for their future career.”

For more information on ASTM’s initiative, visit www.yearofthestudent.org.

Publication date: 01/15/2007