Middle school girls attending the Argonne National Laboratory’s "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day."
What will the project do?
- "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" connects girls in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades with female mentors to show girls that science and technology careers are options for them as they continue their schooling and develop their top career interests.
On February 24, middle school girls in Argonne, Illinois, will meet with women engineers to work together on hands-on projects as part of Argonne National Laboratory’s "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day."
The event is part of National Engineering Week and is designed to introduce girls to the inspiring opportunities available to them through engineering careers.
A major study last year showed that while a majority of teens (85%) were interested in science, including many who were interested in working in related careers for altruistic reasons, like protecting the environment or improving society, "nearly two-thirds of teens indicated that they may be discouraged from pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering or mathematics because they do not know anyone who works in these fields (31 percent) or understand what people in these fields do (28 percent)."
Argonne Lab's "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" connects girls in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades with female mentors to show girls that science and technology careers are options for them as they continue their schooling and develop their top career interests.
The girls who attend this event are chosen by lottery, and must submit their applications by January 7, 2011. You can learn more, check out some pics from the 2010 event, and apply here.
