Starting STEM Early
AAUW says that promoting an equitable learning environment in early grades can make all the difference for girls who want to study STEM. For the past 20 years, the College has brought thousands of middle and high-school girls to campus for an educational program called Women in Engineering Day. Hosted by the Canino School of Engineering Technology, the event features inspirational female speakers and hands-on activities in a variety of tech-focused areas to encourage imagination in a supportive space.
Women in Engineering Day’s longevity and success is the result of a core group of faculty, staff, and alumni supporters, including Marti King MacArthur ’74 & ’78, who was among the first women in College history to graduate from the Heating and Air Conditioning program. She said the event shines a spotlight on STEM at just the right time in the educational pipeline.
“It’s so important to introduce girls to these areas as early as possible to spark that interest,” she said.
While participants are experimenting and collaborating with their peers, they meet and learn from staff and faculty along the way. Associate Professor Dr. Adrienne Rygel, who is the Program Coordinator for the Civil and Environmental Technology program, leads a demonstration about how chemistry and biology can solve a real-world problem like treating drinking water.
“Showing them how fun and interesting science can be, and the great things that it leads to, is the goal,” she said.