Girl Scouts offer engineering workshops
Did you know, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs requiring computer and math skills are each projected to grow by more than 20 percent in the next decade?
Also, studies show girls begin to lose confidence and interest in science and math during middle school.
This is the third year Girl Scouts has partnered with Northern Illinois University Society of Women Engineers for Saturday Engineering Workshops.
Twelve SEW workshops will be offered in 2010, along with an integrated summer camp in 2011. The program requires girls to apply, submit a report card and turn in a letter of recommendation. Interested girls in sixth to eighth grade are encouraged to apply immediately. Registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 22.
These workshops challenge girls to sharpen their math, science and technology skills as they discover engineering. Girls will work in small groups assisted by women faculty from NIU, female engineering undergraduates, and high school mentors on various engineering projects, including bridge building; building simple electrical circuits; creating sound, motion and light; and experiencing chemical engineering.
Hands-on activities and an interactive web will provide a mentoring community to foster the development of the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Beginning Nov. 13, workshops will take place at the NIU Naperville campus twice each month (program also includes a five-day engineering camp in June 2011). There is a mandatory meeting for all participants and parents Saturday, Oct. 30.
The fee is $20 for registered Girl Scouts; $32 for nonregistered girls. Registration forms are available at www.girlscoutsni.org/event.html.
For information or to register, contact Brooke Radford at (630) 897-1565, ext. 7147, or bradford@girlscoutsni.org.