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Session 1692

Twenty First Century Women Prefer Summer Science Kamp

Matthew S. Sanders and Robert M. McAllister Kettering University Flint, MI 48504

Abstract

Although culture of science has contributed to the lack of women in engineering, the cultural diversity of our society offers an opportunity to seek future engineers in groups other than the traditional "white male" engineer. Women receive the majority of all bachelor's degrees, however fewer than 20% of those degrees are in engineering. This discrepancy increases at the graduate level. Furthermore, 63% of all doctoral degrees are awarded to international students. As the demand for engineers outnumbers the supply, we must recognize and take advantage of the enormous potential for future engineers that exist among women.

Although access to higher education is improving, few women have chosen engineering programs. Engineering differs from most other professions in that vocational decisions are ideal if they are made at the junior high level. To attract more women to engineering, Kettering University in cooperation with the Genesee Area Math and Science Technology Program sponsor two summer enrichment programs with year round activities. These are Engineering and Science for the 21st Century Woman and Kamp Kettering – An Adventure in Science, Math, and Engineering. They began in 1993 and 1995 and are designed for girls entering 9th – 12th and 7 th – 8th grades, respectively. Each program is unique and at a different level, but they share a central theme – to show that science, engineering, and mathematics can be exciting, fun, challenging, and rewarding; provide high-quality education, motivate, and prepare them to pursue studies in technical fields.

Programs have been successful in terms of student satisfaction and goal achievement. This paper discusses program initiation and objectives, recruiting and processing applicants, and various hands-on activities. To improve the programs, data on observations and suggestions as well as identification of problems are collected yearly. This article describes the effectiveness of these programs based on statistical analysis of the collected data and sums it up with participants’ comments.

Introduction

International competition is seriously affecting a broad spectrum of industries in the United States. To compete in the highly technological-oriented global marketplace, well-educated engineers and

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M. McAllister, R., & Sanders, M. (2003, June), Twenty First Century Women Prefer Summer Science Kamp Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12585