San Jose State seminar all about women in engineering
Posted by the San Jose Mercury News March 1, 2012.
By Matt Wilson
Engineering–just for boys, geeks and geeky boys with a love for math? Not so, says the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the Society of Women Engineers.
The organization is taking registration for WOW! That’s Engineering!, a single-day science, math and engineering event for high school girls. The seminar, which will last more than seven hours, is set for March 10 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at San Jose State University’s College of Engineering in downtown San Jose.
“We cater mostly to girls throughout the Bay Area, Santa Clara County, and our goal is to target high school girls,” said Virginia Tam, chapter vice president of community outreach for the society. “Our mission at this event is to give them that first experience with engineering they may not get otherwise.”
The event is also meant to debunk many myths about the engineering field, especially that it is a career path only meant for men. Other misconceptions are that you have to be “really good” at math or science or that the field leads to boring jobs, Tam said.
Girls will also participate in several engineering activity workshops, see demonstrations in San Jose State’s engineering labs and meet women engineers.
The event has sold out many times in its nearly decade-long run, according to Tam. Registration will be taken until March 7. The cost is $10 and includes a light breakfast and lunch.
This event is for high school girls only. There is a middle school version of the event called Designing Women that will take place in April.Details are in the works, Tam said, but attendees at that event will participate in various hands-on activities that may include launching paper rockets, building circuits and learning about solar power.
The day will tentatively include a tour of some Stanford University labs to learn more about what engineers do in their everyday life, according to the society’s website.
For more information, visit www.swescv.com/wow. To register, visit swescvwow.eventbrite.com.