Campus & Community

Apply Now for Project ENGAGE

Friday, January 9, 2015, By Matt Wheeler

The application period for Project ENGAGE, a fun, hands-on engineering immersion program for high-achieving middle school girls, is now open. Hosted by the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the program sparks a passion for engineering among middle school girls at an age when many begin to lose interest in math and science.

Here are the details of this year’s sessions:

All students must be nominated by their school guidance counselor or principal based on a selective criteria. Applications must be sent to Project ENGAGE and postmarked before March 6, 2015. The cost for accepted students is $400; however, scholarships are available for students in need. For complete application information, please visit http://projectengage.syr.edu/apply-now.

Over the course of two one-week camps, Project ENGAGE hosts 64 girls. They experience hands-on learning from SU’s engineering and computer science faculty and travel to local landmarks and companies. Each part of the program represents a dynamic area of discovery and technology development that is relevant to the students’ lives.

Through it all, the girls meet with women engineers and learn firsthand about the vital role women play in advancing science, technology and, ultimately, the betterment of society. By the end of the program, the girls will have learned that math and science skills are only part of the career equation and that creativity, working well in teams, communicating ideas effectively and understanding other cultures are equally important.

Engineers apply their knowledge and creative thinking to solve some of the world’s most difficult challenges. The participation of women is crucial to stimulate new ideas and new technologies, yet they are vastly underrepresented in engineering and computer-related fields, holding less than 25 percent of all positions.

In order to increase the number of women in these fields, it is important to make engineering attractive to girls from a young age. Currently, too few girls who are bright, ambitious and motivated to better the world know how rewarding an engineering career can be.

For complete application information, please visit projectengage.syr.edu/apply-now.