AUSTIN, Texas—High school girls demonstrating the physics of energy conservation using pantyhose, rubber bands, yarn and balloons will be one feature of the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day from 4-7 p.m., Feb. 28 on The University of Texas at Austin campus.
Seventh- through 12th-grade girls wanting to participate in the free program must register online before Feb. 25. The application is available online. Registration for 1st through 6th graders is full; however, a waitlist is available on the Women in Engineering Program Web site for those grades.
The free program for girls seeks to encourage girls to recognize their interests in engineering by illustrating the important role engineering plays in makingthe world a better place to live, says Tricia Berry, director of the Women inEngineering program at The University of Texas at Austin.
“Programs like Girl Day,” Berry says, “aim to increase the number of women considering engineering as a career option by demystifying the field of engineering and sharing the excitement of problem solving, tinkering and playing with math and science. Over one million girls are estimated to participate in Introduce a Girl to Engineering day this year nationwide.”
The university’s Women in Engineering Program and the Society of Women Engineers, the local event’s co-coordinators, expect to host more than 500 pre-college girls, with more than 200 student and local industry volunteers. The girls will learn about engineering processes by participating in hands-on activities and meeting with engineering students, professors and industry professionals from companies such as IBM, Motorola and Applied Materials. The event is celebrated across the nation during National Engineers Week.
Elementary school girls will make a breath-powered “Puff-mobile,” using plastic straws, candy, paper clips and a piece of paper. The girls will compete to see whose creation can travel across a six-foot course using the least breaths. Other activities involve designing a geodesic dome using gumdrops and toothpicks, and building a paper tower, where participants use two sheets of newspaper to build the tallest possible tower that will stand freely for 30 seconds or longer, and more.
The program is sponsored by Bechtel, Caterpillar, ConocoPhillips, the GE Fund, the University Co-op and SENSR.
For more information contact: Becky Rische, College of Engineering, 512-471-7272.
