November 2020

Welcome to the NFPA Education Partners Community!

2021 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge Kicks Off

The 2021 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge is in full swing as teams prepare to build their hydraulic-powered bicycle, go-kart or other vehicle in preparation for a fun and creative competition that will test the teams' abilities as well as the vehicles themselves. Eighteen teams made up of over 100 students from across the country have signed up to compete in this year’s competitions:

Cal Poly State University
Cleveland State University
Iowa State University
Kennesaw State University
Michigan Technological University
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Murray State University
Northern Illinois University
Purdue University

Purdue University Northwest
South Dakota State University
University of Akron
University of Cincinnati
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Nebraska Kearney
University of Utah
West Virginia University
Western Michigan University

Nineteen NFPA members will be serving as judges, mentors, and sponsors during the building process as well as during the two final competition events in Ames, Iowa and Littleton, Colorado.

Fluid Power Industry News

This video was originally produced and shared by Caterpillar, Inc.

Only fluid power can help operators create and play Pac-Man on a life sized game board. Caterpillar, Inc. created and played Pac-Man on a life sized game board to celebrate the game's 40th anniversary. Five operators remote-controlled one of each of the classic characters, Pinky, Blinky, Inky, Clyde and the titular yellow hero, PAC-MAN, in a race to collect the all the PAC-DOTS.

Fund Your Fluid Power Educational Activities

Grants, worth up to $500, are available to schools participating in a Fluid Power Action Challenge. Grant awards must be used for costs directly related to the educational aspects of the Challenge program. Please reach out to Joe Zwier at NFPA with any questions.

Learn More and Apply

NFPA Offering Virtual / Hybrid Action Challenges

In response to many of our education partners finding themselves facilitating their classes either partially or fully online, NFPA has developed a fully virtual Action Challenge that can be molded to adapt to the needs of each location. The plan was developed in collaboration with Steve Rogers, founder of Mechanical Kits Ltd., to provide teams with a cohesive Action Challenge experience from the safety of their own homes. NFPA additionally developed a “hybrid” Action Challenge program to accommodate schools that are planning to have students split their time between in-person classes and distance learning.

For details or questions about our virtual, hybrid or in-person Action Challenges, contact Joe Zwier at jzwier@nfpa.com.

Free E-Learning Resource for Educators

In response to the needs of our education partners and teachers, NFPA will be hosting a hub of resources that support their efforts to teach students both inside and outside of the classroom. The hub will feature STEM-focused teach-from-home tools, FAQs, videos, projects as well as other resources for parents and teachers who are new to home-based education. These resources, in addition to NFPA's existing slate of resources, can be found on the NFPA Teacher Support Materials page.

Ready for an Exciting Career in Fluid Power?

An education in fluid power can lead to jobs in some of the most exciting industries in engineering! From entertainment to construction to automation and beyond, the potential applications of fluid power are consistently growing throughout the world. The 2019 Annual Report on the U.S. Fluid Power Industry, published by NFPA, found that the manufacturing of fluid power components was a $22 billion industry in the United States alone.

With over 700 companies employing 66,000 people in the United States, a highly educated workforce will continue to be essential for the future growth and development of the industry. In 2021 and beyond, NFPA will continue to diligently work to provide programming that engages students in fluid power and connects them with industry mentors whose knowledge and experience in the fluid power industry continues to prove invaluable.

Learn more about NFPA’s workforce development efforts here.

Stay In The Know

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