Not only are engineers still sought after in a world with too many lawyers and teachers, but engineering is an exciting and rewarding field that involves creativity and teamwork (rather than the concept of an engineer who spends most of his or her time in solitary tinkering and number-crunching).But most kids in the U.S., especially most girls, say that they're not interested in going into engineering. It's boring, or it's hard, they explain.
Do they even know what engineering is?
Do they know what engineers do?
There are so many different types of engineering! Some engineers build bridges and work to protect the environment. Some are astronauts and others build things that astronauts use, such as zero-gravity toilets and rocket engines and spacecraft. Some engineers create new computer hardware and applications, some develop new materials to use in makeup or medicines, and some create robots or roller coasters. Or how would you like to work in biosystems engineering, creating new sources of bioenergy or inventing ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases?
Engineering is many, many different things...but it's not boring.
Is it hard? Well, becoming an engineer will certainly take some effort, but almost everybody is smart enough to learn the necessary stuff to have an exciting engineering career!
Let's do this!
- Here is a motivating video about Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day.
- Here is a website with resources and experiments to help kids explore engineering.
- Science Kids has a page called Engineering for Kids.
By the way...
This year's Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sally Ride, America's first female astronaut in space. After her career at NASA, Ride worked on programs to introduce kids—with a special focus on girls—to science.
Also on this date:
Anniversary of the first woman to receive a doctorate in dentistry