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The Career
Cornerstone Center provides this page to support girls and women who are
interested in exploring career paths in science, technology, engineering,
mathematics, computing, and healthcare. Here you'll find ideas for
networking, exploring STEM via summer projects, scouting, and teacher
resources.
 Precollege Programs
Many universities have special programs for girls at the
high school level, including the following:
- Massachusetts
Institute of Technology's Women Technology Program is a four-week
summer academic and residential experience where female high school
students explore engineering through hands-on classes, labs, and team-based
projects in the summer after their junior year.
- KU
Society of Women Engineers Weekend of Engineering is an opportunity for
high school women to experience engineering
activities and information sessions and take place in October and February.
Girl Scout Programs
Girl
Scouts introduces girls of every age to science, technology,
engineering, and math (STEM) activities that are relevant to everyday life.
Whether they're discovering how a car's engine runs, becoming math whizzes,
or learning about careers in STEM fields, girls are moving forward into the
future. They can host science fairs, design websites, plan for space
exploration, visit geological sites, and more. One of their latest
programs is "Lighten Up!" which is a guide shows girls how optics
concepts relate to current research and why optics is so important in
everyday life.
Mentoring Opportunities
Some universities and companies have established mentoring programs to link
students with professionals. An example is the University of Notre Dame's
Minority Engineering Program, which offers E-mentoring support to
students.
Summer Programs
Summer programs are great opportunities for
students to explore different career fields. There are also several
focused specifically for precollege girls interested in engineering,
including the following:
- Engineer Girl
- Georgia Institute of
Technology TEC Camp (Technology, Engineering & Computing) for Middle
School Girls
- Kansas State University - Girls
Researching Our World
- University
of Kansas Project Discovery
- Summer Days Math and Science
Camp for Girls
- University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Girls' Adventures in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science
- University of
Nebraska-Lincoln - All Girls All Math Camp
- Girls Exploring Math Camp
(Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University)
Scholarship Opportunities
Many universities have
scholarship programs specifically for high achieving high school
girls. Be sure to check with universities you are considering about
what services, programs, materials, scholarships, and events they
sponsor. Some professional societies also
offer or help coordinate scholarship programs for women, such as the Society
of Women Engineers. Some companies also offer scholarship programs for
women, such as the Talbots Women's
Scholarship Fund. Other scholarships can be searched on the College Board
website.
Professional Association Support
Several special focus professional associations have developed to help
serve the needs of our diverse workforce. Many of these groups also
have student chapters, which can help form valuable networking
opportunities at an early age. For example, the Society of Women
Engineers offer a precollege
site with resources for precollege girls.
The following is a sampling of organizations that support
women; a full list is available on the Cornerstone association
page:
American Association
of University Women
Assessing
Women in Engineering
Association for
Women in Community Colleges
Association for Women
in Computing
Association for Women
Geoscientists
Association for
Women in Mathematics
Association
for Women in Science
American Physical
Society - Committee on the Status of Women in Physics
Commission on
Professionals in Science and Technology
Committee
on the Status of Women in Computing Research
Engineer Girl
European
Commission's Women and Science
Gender
Science Technology Gateway
Girl
Scouts of the United States of America
Hypatia Institute
Institute of
Electrical and Electronics Engineers' Women in Engineering Committee
Institute for Women
and Technology
Institute for Women
in Trades, Technology, and Science
International
Network of Women and Sustainable Energy
MomMD
(Online Community and Association for Women in Medicine)
Society
for Women's Health Research
Society
of Japanese Women Scientists
Society of Women
Engineers
WEPAN
(Women in Engineering Program Advocates Network)
WISE
(The National Research Council's Women in Science and
Engineering group)
WITI (Women
in Technology International)
Women and
Minorities in Science and Engineering
Women
in Biology Internet Launch Page
Women in
Endocrinology
Women in Engineering
Organization
Women in
Neuroscience
Teacher Resources
There are other publications and resources that are also
specifically designed to encourage girls and support women, including
- Girls
In Engineering - PDF book which makes recommendations on how
science and engineering should be taught so as to increase the number
of women and minorities in the scientific and engineering workforce.
University Resources
Many universities offer special programs to support both precollege girls
and university women who are interested in science, engineering,
technology, and medicine. For example, the Women in Science and Engineering
program at the University of Michigan was
established to provide support to girls and women, as was the Women in Engineering Program
at Purdue University. Check with your local university
to find out what resources they may offer, including special events, summer
programs, Saturday workshops, and other resources for girls and women.
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