ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 23, 2017 – To celebrate National Engineers Week (E-Week) 2017, Lockheed Martin’s (NYSE: LMT) Central Florida employees have been engaging more than 3,400 local students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with robotics competitions, trivia challenges, site visits and other hands-on activities.

E-Week, Feb. 19-25, provides an opportunity for students across the United States to focus on engineering and STEM education. Lockheed Martin recognizes the nation’s critical need for future STEM leaders and hosts E-Week activities every year to inspire students to get more involved in STEM.

“At Lockheed Martin, we are committed to cultivating a culture of innovation,” said Tom Mirek, vice president and deputy, engineering and technology at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This year’s E-Week activities, as well as year-round projects like Engineers in the Classroom, provide students with glimpses of real engineering work. With these hands-on activities, we are inspiring our next generation of engineers and technologists.”

Throughout the week, students have been touring Lockheed Martin’s Central Florida facilities. More than 200 local high school students have been participating in robotics challenges to determine which of their robots best performed interactive challenges. Lockheed Martin engineers mentored participating students from nine local schools for eight weeks prior to the robotics challenges by providing feedback on their designs and guiding them through applicable engineering principles.

“Advancing STEM education is a critical focus for Lockheed Martin,” said Bob Kilmer, training and logistics solutions vice president of engineering and technology at Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. “Our future success – and our nation’s technological advantage – depend on building the engineering talent pipeline. Events like E-week are the perfect way to invest in our future.”

Lockheed Martin’s STEM support in Central Florida also includes sponsorship and mentorship for 15 FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics competition teams, the Lockheed Martin/YMCA Technology Center and the University of Central Florida’s STEM teacher education program.

For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 97,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.