Purpose: The Minority Programs Committee is established to promote Section activities that will encourage the education and training of disadvantaged minorities, including the handicapped, in engineering and related disciplines.  The Committee fosters the employment of such minorities at all levels of skill and training within the engineering field and directs the expertise of engineers to the solution of special social and economic problems faced by such minorities.

Organization: The Committee consists of a Chairperson nominated by the Professional Division Chair and appointed by the Section President and other appointed Committee members.  Committee membership also includes an unrestricted number of National Capital Section members who volunteer to work toward the above purpose.

Activities: Committee meetings are usually held monthly, but may be scheduled at other intervals as needed.  Task force and subcommittee meetings are held according to their own schedule and to meet deadlines established by the Committee.

Typical activities include:  actively seeking minority engineers to join ASCE Section activities and assisting in developing minority programs.  Other activities include developing programs for encouraging minority youths to obtain the education necessary to become engineers and technicians, finding ways to maximize employment for qualified and trainable minorities, and enlisting the volunteer services of engineers in their area of expertise to meet the needs of the disadvantaged minority community.