Photo Credit: Tom Coughlin, Nicaragua Summer Exchange 2007

Talking to High School

Girls about Engineering

Project Overview
Inspire college-bound girls to explore
engineering
Provide resources for adult influencers
parents,
counselors, and engineers
www.EngineerYourLife.org
Brochures, posters, and postcards
EYL tables at college fairs
Training for counselors and engineers

Todays Agenda
Group Discussion
Research Results
www.EngineerYourLife.org
Advising Students
Spreading the word

Group Discussion
What are the first two words that come
to mind when you hear engineer?
What type of person do you think is
most
suited to be an engineer?
What do high school girls think about
engineering?
What do their parents think?

Project History
In 2004, 55 engineering groups formed a
coalition to explore why arent college-bound
girls choosing engineering?
Less than 20% of students enrolled in
engineering degree programs are women,
yet more women are now pursuing college
degrees than men
Girls take math and science courses at the
same rates as boys, and perform as well
as or better

Research
Gauge high school girls level of interest
in and awareness of careers in the
engineering field
Assess general career motivators and
barriers to the engineering field
Evaluate current messages being put
forward to the target audience by the
engineering community
Explore messaging opportunities for
increasing enrollment in the
engineering field

What Do High School Girls Think?

Engineering is for people who
LOVE both math and science
Dont know what engineering is
Arent interested in the field nor
do they think it is for them.
Someone who excels in math and science....
Someone who is motivated, dedicated, and
who doesnt mind sitting in a
cubicle all day.

What High School Girls Want

Enjoyable
How happy I will bewhats the point of doing anything you
dont like?
Good working environment
If I cant interact with peopleI will probably drop the job.
To make a difference
That I would make a difference in some way, you know, make
my mark
on the world.
Income
As shallow as it sounds, money is the one thing I have to
consider when Im
choosing a job. Im not going to do something that I know cant
help me pay bills.
Flexibility
My career cant consume all of my timeI need free time to do
a lot of other

What Do Counselors Think?

It is not popular or well-understood, there
is a fundamental lack of awareness
Appropriate only for unique students
Students who are interested tend to be on
the honors track and heavily involved with
a math and science curriculumprimarily
males
Nerd perception. When recommending
engineering to students who have been
identified as good problem solvers, students
are shocked. They dont think of themselves
as nerds.

Counselors, cont.
Dont know enough about
engineering to help students learn
more
Not familiar with how to guide
students toward engineering
When asked how students can learn
more about engineering, the
respondents suggested that students
should go online or check out
local university departments

Meet an Engineer

QuickTime and a
Sorenson Video 3 decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

What Engineers Like about their Careers

I feel pretty lucky to have such a creative and
interesting job. Im surrounded by brilliant
people. It doesnt seem like work. Its just plain
fun! - Judy Lee
I enjoy the travel and interacting with an
amazing array of people. - Daniele Lantagne
Its never boring. I feel that I can make a
difference in
society by working on new technologies to
improve
peoples lives. - Mona Masghati

What Can We Tell Girls about Engineering

Appeal to
Girls
Boys
Live your life, love what you do82%

81%

Creativity has its rewards

74%

81%

Make a world of difference

72%

79%

Create possibilities

71%

77%

www.EngineerYourLife.org
Audience
High school girls
Parents, counselors, & engineers
The site will help you
Understand the various fields of
engineering
Learn what an engineer does
Find out why engineering is a
great career
Advise your kids about
engineering

Take Engineering for a Test Drive

Take engineering courses in school
Attend a summer or after-school program
Watch Design Squad
Talk to engineers
Enter a contest
Consider an internship or summer job
Try as many things as possible. Find internships
in different areas, experiment, and make sure
that you see all that engineering can offer.
- Rachel Fine, Mechanical Engineer

Recommended High School Coursework

Math (4 years)
Science (4 years)
Language Arts (4 years)
Foreign Languages (3
years)

Its important to take a rich

variety of classes and learn
everything you can because
you never know. Life changes.
Getting a full education will
benefit you later on in ways
you cant imagine now.

Researching Engineering Schools

Do a search
Make contact
Look for interesting opportunities
Consider your options
Talk to your parents
Follow your passions
find out what really
captures your interest and
then determine the path to
get there.
- Daniele Lantagne, Environmental

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Do an online search
U.S. Department of Education
Local opportunities
Colleges/Universities
Higher Education Resource Centers
Engineering Societies and Associations
If I knew then what I know now, I could
have
applied for plenty more scholarships.
There are

Resources for Advising Students

www.EngineerYourLife.org
Engineer Your Life Brochure
Engineer Your Life Poster
Take Engineering for a Test
Drive
Recommended High School
Coursework
Researching Engineering
Schools
Scholarships and Financial

Help Spread the Word

Tell girls, parents, and other counselors
about
Web site
Use the EYL resources when advising
students
Distribute brochures, posters, postcards
Host EYL workshops at local, state, and
regional conferences
Visit the EYL table at NACAC college fairs

Special Thanks to:

Major funding for Engineer Your Life provide by:
The National Science Foundation
Northrop Grumman Foundation

Additional funding provided by:

Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr.
United Engineering Foundation (ASCE, ASME, AIChE, IEEE, A