Discover U

A new century requires a new approach to solving an old problem: under-representation of women in engineering and the sciences at the collegiate and professional level. Kettering University, in cooperation with the Genesee Intermediate School District (GISD) which serves the 21 school districts of Genesee County, Michigan, has created a new career-oriented series of hands-on workshops for girls in grades 10-12. Eight day-long "discovery" programs throughout the academic year will allow participants to learn about specific fields of engineering, applied sciences and applied mathematics. Each program will emphasize the connections between the stimulating intellectual challenges the respective fields present and their potential for making a difference in people's lives. Participants - selected by GISD-member district teachers and counselors - will discover engineering career opportunities through hands-on laboratory activities and experiments, lunchtime colloquia featuring working professionals, interactions with women undergraduates of Kettering and "Prep for Success" sessions focused on preparing for and getting in to college. A final session each year, for participants and their parents, will be held in May and will focus on college and career planning. For more information, contact Virginia Hill, (810) 762-9873.