News release from the Boys & Girls Club of Fort Wayne:
Boys & Girls Clubs and Raytheon Team Up to Inspire the Next Generation of Women Engineers
Hands-on event will celebrate National Engineers Week Girl Day
(February 24, 2015) – In celebration of National Engineers Week Girl Day, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne is partnering with Raytheon to encourage young women to consider a future in engineering. Employees and volunteers from Raytheon have organized a hands-on event for Thursday, February 26 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the Fairfield Boys & Girls Club (2609 Fairfield Avenue).
Over 100 girls from 6 to 18 years of age will meet female role models in engineering fields, learn about the variety of engineering careers and the women who work in them, and then take on an engineering challenge of their own.
“Working in an engineering environment is exciting and rewarding,” says Cheryl Felger, who is organizing the event for Raytheon, “When we learned that Raytheon and the Boys & Girls Clubs were partnering nationally to promote women in engineering, we jumped at the chance to organize an afternoon to with girls at the Fort Wayne Clubs to challenge them with a hands-on STEM project, and talk about women in the industry”.
Felger said that the younger girls will learn about electricity by wiring a 9 volt battery to a string of lights. Older members will practice bridge building skills, by using foam insulation, roofing nails to build a sturdy beam that has to support a 1-2 pound weight. Each team will submit their structure to the ‘uncooked egg test’. If the egg, which is placed under the beam, doesn’t support the required weight, it will be crushed and the project will be sent back to the drawing board.
“Our programs have been focusing more and more on STEM skills over the past 18 months the partnership with Raytheon for this event is a great fit, and very much appreciated,” comments Joe Jordan, President and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne, “The role models and mentoring that Raytheon will be bringing to our girls is extremely important. STEM related careers offer huge opportunities for them, and events like these will spark their interest and open some doors for their futures”
Girls participating in the event will receive backpacks with school supplies and a t-shirt, donated by Raytheon.
More about women in engineering:
In the United States, just 14 percent of engineers are women (source: National Science Foundation). Many engineering careers are experiencing above-average growth, and with an average starting salary of $62,535 (source: National Association of Colleges and Employers, Job Outlook 2013), they provide tremendous opportunities for young women to have successful futures.
The out-of-school environment—after school and summer—plays an important role in supporting science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education and inspiring future STEM-related careers. By introducing young girls to women leaders in engineering and offering hands-on activities during out-of-school time, it is possible to spark a lifelong interest in science and engineering.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne is a nonprofit organization that provides structured afterschool programs that emphasize academic success, good character and citizenship and healthy lifestyles. Every year, over 2,000 children, between 6-18 years old, attend life-changing programs at one of the four Club locations in Fort Wayne.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne puts children and teens first by focusing on their mission “to inspire all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens”. Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne website.
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