Provided by kstp.com and Trane Technologies

On June 12, 2022, Mayra Reyes, Associate Member ASHRAE, and Melissa Schumann celebrated a milestone: On behalf of Trane and Trane Technologies, they donated 70 copies of Lucy’s Engineering Adventure to Roseville Area Schools in Minnesota. In support of their commitment to helping the schools in their communities and encouraging awareness and interest in STEM education, the event was the final celebration of Mayra’s idea to raise enough money to purchase 40 books to donate to local schools. Melissa got involved to help work through the details of fundraising online.  

Thanks to their colleagues’ contributions and a matching opportunity from Dave Molin, Vice President of Product Management at Trane, the team far-exceeded their goal and purchased 231 books which were donated to seven area school districts.  

Mayra, Melissa and Dave presented the books to Harambe Elementary School principal, Nasreen Fynewever. Brian Jennissen, Member ASHRAE, President of the Minnesota ASHRAE chapter, was also in attendance. Local media covered the event which included book readings in two first-grade classrooms. 

The rhyming picture book, developed by ASHRAE for children aged 4 to 8, introduces readers to building and HVAC engineering concepts by using the human body to demonstrate how a building works. Children can help Lucy find unique solutions to STEM problems and discover if they might like to be an engineer too. Some of the Harambe student's ideas for a given heating/cooling problem included closing windows, wrapping up in a warm blanket and getting into a bathtub filled with hot chocolate.

Mayra Reyes, Associate Member ASHRAE, speaks with students about STEM.

School districts receiving copies of “Lucy’s Engineering Adventure”     

• Farmington Area Public Schools (District 192): 5 books; one for each school library 

• Mahtomedi Public Schools (ISD #832): 2 books; one for each school library 

• Mounds View Public Schools (ISD #621): 5 books; one for each school library 

• North Saint Paul-Maplewood-Oakdale (ISD #622): 56 books; one for every first and second grade classroom 

• Rosemount Elementary Schools (District #196): 19; one for each school library 

• Roseville Area Schools (ISD #623): 70 books; one for every first, second and third grade classroom and one for each school library  

• White Bear Lake Area Schools (ISD #624): 74 books; one for every first and second grade classroom and one for each school library 

From left, Mayra Reyes, Melissa Schumann with copies of Lucy's Engineering Adventure.