JBU Society of Women Engineers Hosts Fourth Annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (March 21, 2019) – JBU's fourth annual "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day," encourages third and fourth grade girls to pursue engineering by introducing them to engineering-related activities and connecting them to student engineers. Hosted by JBU's collegiate chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and held in the Balzer Technology Center, the event has two identical sessions on Saturday, March 30, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 5 p.m.
Students will learn and apply science, technology, engineering and math concepts through activities, which include exploring circuit theory with circuit scribe or conductive ink on paper, building a LEGO car using gear optimization for a drag race, exploring aerodynamics through the design and launching of a water rocket, experimenting with structure stabilization techniques and building and programming LEGO robots.
"In elementary school, students have very limited understanding of what engineers do and what science and math careers look like," said Tara Meeker, freshman representative for JBU's SWE chapter. "Our goal is to give girls the opportunity to explore and gain insightful knowledge into the field of engineering so that they think about classes, want to learn more about the subject matter and hopefully consider pursuing a career in engineering."
In addition, students will receive firsthand knowledge of senior design projects that JBU engineering students are developing. The JBU Society of Automotive Engineers Aerospace senior design team will present its plane prototype; the NASA Mars rover design competition team will display its Mars rover prototype; the Engwit livestock management team will discuss its visual cow weight measurement device; and the JBU Frisbee launcher design team will demonstrate its prototype. Last year, nearly 100 girls from Arkansas and Oklahoma participated in the event.
This year's event was awarded a SWE program development grant and received donations from the ExxonMobil Foundation, Ryan Engineering, Hudson Engineering, EngwiT, TC Screen Printing and McKee Foods.
For more details, please contact Ted Song, JBU professor of engineering, at tsong@jbu.edu or at 479-524-7321 or email SWE at swe@jbu.edu.
The SWE, founded in 1950, is the world’s largest advocate and catalyst for change for women in engineering and technology. The not-for-profit educational and service organization is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly-desirable career aspiration for women. To ensure SWE members reach their full potential as engineers and leaders, the Society offers unique opportunities to network, provides professional development, shapes public policy and provides recognition for the life-changing contributions and achievements of women engineers. As a champion of diversity, SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in their personal and professional lives. For more information about the Society, please visit www.swe.org or call 312.596.5223.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked regional university (U.S. News Best Colleges, 2019), JBU enrolls more than 2,100 students from 38 states and 53 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 majors, with top programs including engineering, nursing, family and human services, biology, graphic design and construction management.
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