Hands-on Learning Introduces Girls in Atlanta to Career Opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
ATLANTA---June 10, 2013---Beginning today, 25 middle-school girls from Cobb County School District will take part in a week-long camp, exploring the excitement of hands-on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), while engaging with academic leaders and women professionals in STEM careers. The five-day learning program, GE Girls @ Georgia Tech (GT), is sponsored by the Atlanta GE Women's Network in collaboration with Georgia Tech Women in Engineering (WIE).
Research shows that a majority of young girls have an interest and proficiency in STEM, and may not fully understand the academic and career opportunities available to them. Additionally, middle school girls begin to lose interest in STEM, just as they begin considering their future options.
"Inspiring girls in fun ways is our primary goal with the GE Girls program, and I know our team is just as excited as the campers about the activities, including constructing an edible car, building rockets and designing lip balm," says Candy Carson, CFO, GE Energy Management and Executive Champion for the GE Women's Network in Atlanta, an employee group that provides leadership development, advancement, and career broadening opportunities for professional women. "With women under-represented in STEM fields, the GE Women's Network developed the GE Girls program to share our enthusiasm for these careers and foster lasting interest in STEM among girls in our community."
Interested rising seventh- and eighth-graders applied this spring and participants were selected by Georgia Institute of Technology faculty. GE Girls @ GT will provide daily transportation to the Georgia Tech campus, where participants will gain instruction from university faculty, student teachers, and business professionals and facilitators. Designed by GE, the multi-disciplinary curriculum will provide hands-on activities and workshops that span electronics and chemistry, enabling the girls to experiment with physics, operate electric technology, design and construct models, and learn about business and product branding. Each program participant will meet accomplished female leaders from the GE Women's Network and other companies, with engineering, technology and financial backgrounds, and take part in a graduation celebration.
"Involving girls in fun and real-life STEM experiences and learning opportunities at this stage in their development can encourage self-confidence and inspire life-long passion for science," said Dr. Christine Valle, director, Women in Engineering (WIE), Georgia Institute of Technology. "Teaming with the GE Women's Network demonstrates to participating students how classroom math and science translate into higher education and fulfilling careers."
While this is the first time this program will take place in Atlanta, the GE Girls programs have been successfully conducted with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, and Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) and the Waukesha STEM Academy.
"It's satisfying to provide our students with this rich opportunity to engage on an academic and professional level with inspiring women role models who can have a positive impact on their areas of interest and future," said Amy Krause, Chief Academic Officer, Cobb County School System.
GE has a long history of supporting education in the Atlanta area through a host of GE Volunteer efforts, GE Capital Financial Literacy programs, sponsoring FIRST robotics teams, volunteering in schools through Junior Achievement, and awarding a $22 million Developing Futures™ in Education grant to the Atlanta Public Schools by the GE Foundation. The GE Women's Network has 170 hubs (chapters) in 45 countries. In 2012 the collective hubs held 3,500 events with more than 130,000 attendees. GE Girls @ GT is another way members of the Atlanta hub of the GE Women's Network are investing in the greater Atlanta community and making a difference in the lives of young women.
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