High school women from around the state may learn a new definition of "women's work" that includes everything from laser cutting and soldering to earthquake prediction and aeronautical design at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
More than 120 female high school students are registered to visit CU-Boulder Feb. 23 for the Women in Engineering Program's "Discover Engineering Day." Activities will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Discovery Learning Center and end at 2 p.m. Participants will get a taste of the many ways they can use technology, math, science and engineering to make a difference and change the world.
The annual event held at the CU-Boulder Engineering Center has attracted students from schools across the Front Range, including a large number from the Colorado Springs area. Students from as far away as Illinois have registered to attend this year's event.
Discover Engineering Day will expose students to engineering activities and careers through dynamic, interactive demonstrations presented by students and faculty in the College of Engineering and Applied Science. For example, the young women will explore the field of biological engineering through a hands-on project related to tissue research and learn about computer science by making origami with computers.
Participants also will experience student life through a walking tour of the campus, lunch in the residence halls and a department fair offering interaction with CU-Boulder students and faculty from each of the engineering departments.
The Women in Engineering Program at CU-Boulder is dedicated to increasing the number of female engineering students and women working in engineering positions by recruiting, encouraging and supporting women interested in the field. These efforts are especially important as engineering schools across the country are seeing a decline in the number of female students.
National data from the Women in Engineering Programs and Advocates Network show that women make up only 20 percent of engineering students, 10 percent of the engineering workforce and 6 percent of full professors in engineering.
For more information on Discover Engineering Day visit engineering.colorado.edu/WIEP/DED.html.