A synergetic approach to combine service learning at the university level with a high school outreach program is described. A holistic view is presented by discussing the importance of outreach and service learning, survey results, and outcomes. Overall, it was found that the unique program increased the self-efficacy (belief about one's…

In the present day, it is not uncommon for there to be a class full of engineering students with very few women among them. To combat this lack of gender diversity, colleges and universities have employed outreach programs and developed summer engagement opportunities that allow women to explore engineering before they graduate high school. The…

The importance of reducing the gender gap in engineering programs by recruiting and retaining female students is well recognized. Although women hold roughly half of all jobs in the United States, only 24% of STEM jobs are occupied by women. The problem is even more pronounced for engineering, where women held about 12% of jobs as of 2013 (Corbett…

African American and Black women are twice as likely to enroll in higher education in comparison to Black men. However, when it comes to engineering degrees awarded in 2015, only 24% of the Black recipients were women. A potential solution may be to introduce engineering to pre-college Black female students through extracurricular program. Being…

In this work, we describe youth outreach activities carried out under the Chair for Women in Science and Engineering for Ontario (CWSE-ON) program. Specifically, we outline our design and implementation of robotics workshops to introduce and engage middle and secondary school students in engineering and computer science. Toward the goal of…

Multiple initiatives have been launched to try to widen the pipeline for women to enter engineering careers, including reviews of gender differences in enrollment in technology and pre-engineering courses from middle school through doctoral degrees. National agencies have also studied some of the social and cultural forces at play with regard to…

This paper explores both how male and female high school pupils (15-16 years old) perceive the engineering profession and their willingness to pursue a career in this area. A study was performed around a one-day outreach activity, Girls' Day, organized for the first time in Spain. During Girls' Day, students were exposed to specific activities…

Discusses the successful outcomes of the Women in Science and Engineering Residential Program which aims to reduce the disproportionate loss of women from science and engineering majors at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Contains 22 references.) (Author/WRM)

The Visiting Professorship for Women (VPW) program was initiated by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 1982 to address the under representation of women in science. This summary which draws on a study completed in 1993 considers the effects of the VPW program and the nature of the participants. Both strengths and limitations of the existing…

Lists objectives of a four-week summer program (Females in Engineering, Methods, Motivation, Experience) designed to attract ninth-grade females to science and engineering careers. Also discusses program content and strategies and results of student and parent evaluation of the 1983 program. (JN)

A model career preparation program for first-year engineering women at Purdue University is described. Key elements of this project, which is funded through the Women's Educational Equity Act, are: a course designed to provide engineering and career information and practical experience; a means of evaluating the methods and results; wide…

Compared with other fields of study, engineering at the higher education level has the lowest proportion of women students. A review of the literature concerning models of retention and female identity formation indicates that increased mentorship, curriculum revision, enrichment programs, and career workshops have been tried in efforts to…

A plan at Purdue University to develop a model program for women in engineering is described. The Purdue Department of Freshman Engineering received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education through the Women's Education Equity Act to help overcome some of the problems faced by women who enter engineering. The program focuses on an…

This brochure, one in a series of four, is designed to assist program directors, teachers, and evaluators evaluate programs to encourage girls in mathematics, science, and engineering. Seven sections cover the why, the what, and some of the how of program evaluation. The first section explains why programs need to be evaluated. The second section…

The Women's Experiences in College Engineering (WECE) project is the first cross-institutional, longitudinal examination of undergraduate women's experiences and persistence in engineering majors. The study was funded by both the National Science Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and conducted by Goodman Research Group, Inc. (GRG), a…