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Society of Women Engineers inspire kids towards STEM careers

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a Registered Student Organization (RSO) focused on the involvement of young women in their pursuit of a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) career. SWE is involved in several outreach and volunteering opportunities throughout the Kalamazoo area. Marissa Doyen, the 2019-2020 SWE President, sums up the purpose of SWE, “It’s incredibly important for young people to have role models and mentors that look like them. The best way we can encourage young girls into STEM is by being active in the community and showing off our capabilities as student engineers.”

SWE-story

Inspiring young girls to visualize themselves as leaders in STEM is crucial to fostering the next generation of women engineers. The Society of Women Engineers dedicates their time as a RSO to mentor young women to envision a career they ignites their passionate.  The power of seeing someone like them forge a career in such a male dominated industry is pivotal especially with young women. 

In the spirit of mentorship and positive role-modeling, SWE takes every chance they can to inspire girls towards a STEM career. Some volunteering events include helping Girl Scouts earn a badge, the Kalamazoo Air Zoo Corporate Engineering Challenge, and the Western Michigan University (WMU) Golden Opportunity event. 

Helping a local troop of Girl Scouts earn a badge was an amazing event!  Members of SWE explained the various programs offered at WMU and discussed the opportunities and meaningful impacts associated with an engineering career. A student panel allowed Scouts to ask members of SWE about their own experiences. The next part of the event included designing and building a car that could be powered by the release of air from a balloon. The mentorship and exposure to the engineering process provided both a exceptional experience for the Girl Scouts and the opportunity to earn a badge.

SWE has also participated in the Corporate Engineering Challenge at the Kalamazoo Air Zoo for several years. Alongside multiple local engineering companies, SWE puts together a fun engineering activity where the young women visit numerous tables participating in various STEM activities and learn how these activities are associated with engineering careers.  Some of the activities included invisible ink, a balloon being blown up through a gaseous chemical reaction, and how different liquid densities interact. At the end of the day the girls attending the event get to learn about WMU, stories from current women engineers, as well as the operations of local engineering companies.

The Golden Opportunity Event is geared towards admitted first year students to celebrate the successes of women in engineering. SWE members interact with prospective students, answer questions, and share personal experiences of their success at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. A featured speaker also highlights the benefits and rewards of a career in STEM.