Sources for photographic images were used following the creative commons legal code found here: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode and vector images were used with the following the terms of use provided: https://pixabay.com/en/service/terms/#usage
Individual image links can be found here:
Slider Photo source 1: https://pixabay.com/en/delicate-arch-sunset-rock-formation-896885/
Slider Photo source 2: https://pixabay.com/en/drone-field-multicopter-905955/
Google Cardboard Photo source: https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7501/16091858097_41d9877304.jpg
Man Looking Through Cardboard - https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7545/15814454518_fdf8ab3738.jpg
Cardboard V2.0 on Desk (500ppi x500 ppi) - https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8863/18446561558_269901d6cb_b.jpg
Example Vector source 1: https://pixabay.com/en/desk-student-school-chair-empty-30280/
Established in 2012 to provide elementary students with opportunities to engage in authentic, project-based, inquiry-centered learning opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). At the time of its establishment, one of the first students to enroll in the organization decided to come up with an official logo which could be used on shirts, letterheads, and on the various products created by the students. Given that the students had decided on the name “Visionary” already, they started looking for a fairly simple yet elegant and captivating image that would represent them and the organization well. The student who initially wanted to create the logo had been studying about Ancient Egypt in her sixth grade social studies class, and remembered reading about the Eye of Horus.
The Eye of Horus, being an ancient, elaborate, and very important symbol throughout history, can be interpreted in numerous ways and be used to represent countless ideas. The student who proposed the symbol had read about how it was divided into six parts, with each part representing one of the senses (the Ancient Egyptians considered thought to be one of the senses in addition to the five we commonly refer to today), and suggested that this would be fitting given the hands-on, fully-engaged way of learning embraced by VE. Another sixth grade student, who was also studying Ancient Egypt, then shared that he had researched the symbol and found out that it was very precisely measured so that each one of the six parts was a fraction of the others. He believed this could serve as a reminder to the students to work carefully, pay attention to detail, and communicate well so that each individual on the team (and each individually created component of a team project) would fit and work well within the whole. A third student, having a knack for robotics, programming, and using sensors, extended upon what the first two students had said about the senses and measurement by stating this was exactly how sensors and circuits should be built and programmed: precise, well-calibrated, and able to receive as much data from the environment as possible. After this exchange of ideas, all of the students enthusiastically agreed that the Eye of Horus should be adopted as the official logo of Visionary Engineering. Furthermore, all immediately agreed that it should bear the same colors as the American Flag both to honor our nation and serve as a constant reminder that what is gained through participation in VE is the very essence of what has made, and will make, our country the global leader of innovative brilliance.
As time has passed and the students have spent more time reflecting upon their chosen symbol, they have been able to draw many more parallels between it and various aspects of what VE does and stands for. VE, being fully supported by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR), always has at the center of its mission the goal of enhancing future national security and inspiring innovation among our country’s youngest generations so that they may contribute skill, knowledge, and innovative talent to the incredible nation that is the United States of America. Thus, the Eye of Horus, also being an emblem of protection, power, and perseverance, serves to remind us of the duty we owe to our country, as well as the diligence we must have to do our duty well.
For those interested in exploring the symbolism of the Eye of Horus further, as many of the students have done, the following links may be of assistance:
http://www.aloha.net/~hawmtn/horus.htm