DR075 Engineering Mini-Camp

Final Report June 23, 2000
Executive Summary

The Philadelphia SWE section, in partnership with Widener University, has developed a one-day engineering mini-camp for high school girls, to be held on Saturdays during the school year. Originally, it was intended that each one-day camp would be limited to 50 girls from high schools in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, and that at least two sessions of the camp would be offered each academic year. Given the level of involvement required for each camp, a more feasible plan was adopted, in which one camp session that accommodates a larger number of girls will be offered each academic year. The initial offering of the camp took place on February 12, 2000, with 88 girls in attendance. The camp was held on the campus of Widener University, and was staffed by volunteers from the Philadelphia and Delmarva SWE sections, and by students and alumni from the SWE student chapter at Widener.

The camp was offered tuition-free to interested local high-school girls. The basic camp format was a series of concurrent hands-on laboratory sessions, organized to accommodate groups of approximately 12 girls. Each group of 12 girls participated in three different laboratory experiences, led by three different camp counselors. Camp counselors were chosen to have varying professional backgrounds, in order to expose the girls to the wide diversity of possible engineering careers. Laboratory experiences complemented the counselors’ backgrounds, so as to provide a context for discussion of engineering careers. Student members of Widener’s SWE chapter assisted in the laboratory sessions and led a lunch-time discussion on female engineering student experiences.

Student response to the program was overwhelmingly favorable. One mailing to high school principals in the Philadelphia area resulted in 150 applications for the February camp, from which 96 girls were accepted and 88 actually attended. Girls who could not be accommodated in February have been placed on a waiting list and guaranteed an invitation to the next camp offering.

The camp was evaluated both by the students who attended and the volunteers who staffed the sessions. They considered the day to be both enjoyable and informative. Both students and volunteers rated the camp as well organized and efficiently run. One suggested improvement was to expand the number of lab activities from 3 to 4 by shortening lab periods from 60 minutes to 45 minutes each. Details of the girls’ responses are available in the average ratings tally in the Evaluation section of this report. Based on a comparison with the girls’ pre-camp responses to questions on interest and knowledge of engineering careers, the camp was successful in fostering positive attitudes and enthusiasm for engineering careers.

Program Description

Summer engineering camps have become one means for introducing and attracting middle school and high school students to careers in engineering. Typical engineering camps are one to two weeks in duration and are conducted at a college or university with an engineering program. Such a camp is a mixture of discussions, lab experiences, and field trips all geared toward explaining what engineers do and providing an enjoyable experience that fosters a positive attitude and enthusiasm for an engineering career. This format can be effective for male students, who tend to populate the camps. However, teen-age girls may be intimidated and/or inhibited by the overwhelming majority of boys in the coeducational camps.

The Philadelphia SWE section, in conjunction with Widener University, provides an opportunity for teen-age girls in the Philadelphia metropolitan area to experience engineering camp in an all-female setting. The camp is hosted by Widener University’s School of Engineering, and is staffed by volunteers from the Philadelphia and Delmarva SWE sections and by students and alumni from the SWE student chapter at Widener. The initial camp occurred on Saturday February 12, 2000, with 88 girls from high schools in the Philadelphia metropolitan area in attendance.

The camp was envisioned as a series of individual hands-on laboratory sessions, organized to accommodate individual groups of approximately 10-12 girls. Lab sessions fit into an hour-long format, with short breaks in between. Each lab was led by a volunteer “camp counselor” recruited from among the ranks of women in local companies, who not only assists the girls in completing a laboratory project but also talks about her work and explains how the lab project relates to that work. For example, a chemical engineer from DuPont might lead a laboratory project on fermentation, while explaining about her career as a process engineer. All girls participate in three laboratory projects while interacting with three different SWE volunteers, as the groups rotate from lab project to lab project. It is intended that camp counselors will have varying professional backgrounds, in

order to expose the girls to the wide diversity of possible engineering careers. Content of any individual laboratory session is less important than the contact between the high school girls and the SWE volunteers; laboratory activities are intended primarily to facilitate communication and to provide the volunteers with a context in which to discuss engineering careers. The camp meets as a group for lunch, where conversation is led by members of the SWE student chapter at Widener and the focus is on the female engineering student experience. This interaction is desirable because many teen-age girls more comfortably relate to college-age women than to professional women. The day ends with a general wrap-up session, in which participants are asked to complete a camp evaluation. The schedule for the full-day mini-camp is shown below.

Camp Schedule

Time Activity

9:00 – 9:30 Registration/Continental Breakfast

9:30 – 10:15 Welcome/Introductions/Career Guidance Video

10:30 – 11:30 Laboratory Session #1

11:45 – 12:45 Lunch/The Female Engineering Student Experience

1:00 - 2:00 Laboratory Session #2

2:15 - 3:15 Laboratory Session #3

3:30 - 4:00 Closing/Camp Evaluations

Widener University provides meeting rooms, laboratory facilities, mailing lists, secretarial support, and a camp coordinator as in-kind contributions. Volunteer counselors select, develop, and document their laboratory projects in consultation with the camp coordinator from Widener University, to ensure that all required equipment and facilities are available.

Program Results

Publicity

Girls who would benefit from the camp were identified through a mass mailing to area high school principals using a mailing list provided by Widener University’s Admissions Office. In addition the camp web page, including on-line application form, was linked to both the Widener University and Philadelphia Section web pages. Some difficulties were encountered with receiving on-line applications from girls using America On-Line. Aside from this glitch, the process worked effectively. We received 150 applications for the February camp. This strong response convinced us that a program of this nature is needed in the Philadelphia area. We expanded the camp to accept 96 girls, of which 88 actually attended. Girls who could not be accommodated in February have been placed on a waiting list and guaranteed an invitation to the next camp offering, most likely in February of 2001. Publicity letters and flyers, along with the camp application form and permissions slip, are included in the appendix.

Organization

Providing the coordination to register girls for the camp required a much greater time commitment than was originally anticipated, due in large part to requests for information from students, parents, and high school teachers. One possible solution would be to set up the program through an organization such as the Girl Scouts, who would take responsibility for registration procedures. This would, however, restrict the audience the camp would reach.

The girls were assigned to a specific lab group ahead of time, chosen on the basis of their interests as indicated on their camp application form. The day of camp, girls checked-in and were given their lab group number and schedule for the day. A sample schedule is included in the Appendix. The registration process occurred simultaneously with a continental breakfast and provided an opportunity for the girls to chat for half an hour, prior to the opening session.

Volunteers

This is perhaps the most critical area to address, as it is difficult to get commitments from busy people several months out, and that amount of lead time is necessary in order to match up lab activities with backgrounds. In addition to placing an announcement in the Philadelphia section newsletter, we emailed a plea for volunteers to the section membership. The President and Career Guidance chair of the recently formed Delmarva section were contacted, due to close proximity to the Widener campus, and several volunteers were subsequently recruited. In addition, we were highly successful in recruiting volunteers among Widener alumni. As a result we had 12 volunteers to staff 8

different labs. The Widener student section of SWE provided 15 engineering students to assist the volunteers and to host the lunch program. A large library of potential lab activities, with suggestions on how to run the labs, made it easier to secure volunteers. This document is included in the appendix.

Laboratory Activities

Laboratory projects suited to the individual backgrounds of the volunteer counselors were selected on the basis of safety, simplicity, cost, and availability of equipment. An additional objective was to provide a well-rounded view of the diversity of engineering careers. The appendix contains the lab master schedule, which shows all laboratory activities offered at the camp. Based on feedback from students and volunteers, the lab periods and the opening session could be shortened by 10 to 15 minutes each, so that each group could participate in 4 laboratory activities instead of only three.

Safety

All labs were evaluated to ensure the safety of camp participants. Girls were required to have parental permission to attend the camp, and to provide relevant

medical information with their permission forms. There were no difficulties with safety or security at the camp.

Opening Program

This consisted of an introductory Powerpoint presentation (included in the Appendix) by the camp coordinator, followed by a 15 minute career guidance video provided by SWE headquarters. The women running the lab activities were then introduced, and the girls were directed to their first lab sessions. Based on camp evaluations, we intend to shorten this session by omitting the video. The Powerpoint presentation, however, was reasonably well received and is necessary to provide some background on engineering careers.

Post Camp Contacts

All girls who attended the camp were provided with a list of post-camp contacts (see Appendix). These included a variety of web-sites, as well as phone numbers and/or email addresses for the camp volunteers. Girls were encouraged to contact volunteers with questions, etc. after the camp. Volunteers were asked to inform the camp coordinator of any such contacts. Aside from an initial contact or two in the month following the camp, contacts between the women volunteers and the camp attendees have been disappointing. Based on these results, we have concluded that it is desirable to have the volunteers initiate post-camp interaction.

Evaluation

All participants (high school students, SWE counselors, and SWE student chapter volunteers) are asked to evaluate the camp. These evaluations were initially used to determine if the proposed format effectively achieved the desired objective of providing an enjoyable experience for high school girls that helps to foster a positive attitude and enthusiasm for an engineering career. Camp attendees are encouraged to contact counselors and student chapter volunteers for information and advice, and all post-camp contacts should be reported to the camp coordinator. Program effectiveness can thus be measured in part by how successful the camp is at providing camp graduates with access to the female engineering community. Project success was measured by level of attendance at the camps, camp evaluations from both students and counselors, and post-camp contacts between counselors and attendees. The Philadelphia section envisions the engineering mini-camp as an on-going community service project, as program measures of success were positive in all areas except post-camp contact between students and volunteers.

Camp Evaluation Ratings

Below are the tabulated average ratings the girls gave the camp at the end of the day. Ratings were done on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 = worst and 5 = best.

1. Registration procedures 3.9

2. Lab activities 4.1

3. Opening session 3.6

4. Interaction with women engineers 4.4

5. Interaction with engineering students 4.2

6. Food and facilities 4.6

7. Organization 4.4

8. Overall impression of Widener 4.1

9. How much I learned about what

engineers do 4.1

10. How much I learned about different types of engineering 4.1

11. How much fun I had 4.1

12. Coming today will help me decide whether

or not to major in engineering in college. 90% Yes 10% No

13. I will contact one of the women engineers or

engineering students I met today if I have questions or

want some advice about engineering. 80% Yes 14% No 6% Maybe

14. I am more interested in or excited about an engineering career after attending this camp. 78.5% Yes 18% No 3.5% Undecided

15. I will consider attending one of Widener’s Engineering Summer Camps this year. 50% Yes 45% No 5% Undecided

16. I would be interested in spending a day with a

woman engineer at her workplace. 68% Yes 32% No

Note: Only 44 of the girls (50%) provided their names so we could help set this up.

17. Please rate the labs you did on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 = worst and 5 = best.

Motors/Generators (powered Lego cars) 4.1

Tower Building (with straws and eggs) 4.6

Logic Gates (electrical engineering lab) 2.8

Aerodynamics/Flight (paper airplanes) 3.4

Computer Simulation (computer lab) 3.8

Reaction Kinetics (chemical engineering lab) 4.3

Electric Power (powered Lego cars) 4.6

Roller Coaster Design (pipe insulation) 4.4

Note: Average rating -= 4.0 which is consistent with 4.1 rating from Question 2.

18. Was there a lab you would have liked to do or a type of engineering you would have liked to learn about that we didn’t include? 41% No 59% Yes

Note: Of the 59% who responded yes, 17% indicated they would have liked a chance to do one of the labs they were not scheduled for. The rest indicated specialized areas of engineering (i.e. sound, genetics, biomedical) we did not offer.

19. Please share any other suggestions you have for improving the camp.

45% of the girls made suggestions for improvement. Although these were varied and at times contradictory, two major themes can be identified: 1. Provide the opportunity to do more labs, by shortening the time spent at each. 2. Allow students some choice in what labs they do, or have everyone do everything.

20. Any other comments?

These were overwhelmingly positive, to the effect that the girls had enjoyed the experience and also found it informative.

Final Budget

Item** Budgeted Actual

Food service (budgeted for 60 attendees &

volunteers, actual for 100-120 people) $700 $834.87

Continental breakfast, lunch, and snacks

Distribution (Postage) $300 $353.50

Publications (Duplicating) $250 $200.00

Expendable Laboratory Supplies $450 $776.46*

Camp T Shirts for Attendees (budgeted

for 60attendees & volunteers, actual for

120 people) $300 $531.48

Total Budget $2000 $2696.31**

*$556.50 donation from PECO Nuclear to purchase Lego sets used in 2 labs

**Does not include in-kind contributions for equipment, facilities, secretarial services, and camp coordination provided by Widener University.

Expenses Charged to:

PECO Nuclear $556.50

SWE Philadelphia Section $2139.81

Total $2696.31

Appendices

Publicity Letters/Flyers/Web Page

Application Form

Acceptance Letter

Permission Form

Call for Volunteers

Potential Lab Activities

Camp Schedules

Evaluation Form

List of Engineering Contacts

Opening Session Presentation

January 3, 2000

Dear Principal:

The Philadelphia Section of the Society of Women Engineers and Widener University are co-sponsoring a one-day Engineering Mini-Camp for girls in grades 9 – 12. The camp, to be held Saturday, February 12, 2000, on Widener University’s Chester campus, will bring girls who have an interest and/or ability in science/math/technology together with practicing women engineers and female engineering students. Funded by the Society of Women Engineers through a grant from the Exxon Education Foundation, the camp is offered free of cost. Enrollment is limited to a maximum of 50 girls, on a first-come basis.

The camp is designed as a series of “hands-on” laboratory activities that will highlight some of the technology areas in which engineers work. The purpose of the “female-to-female” format is to encourage girls to view engineering as a viable career option by providing an opportunity for interaction with women engineers. Additional details, including camp schedule and registration forms, are included in this mailing and on-line at http://www2.widener.edu/~soengr/.

I am requesting your help in publicizing the camp at your school. Would you please see that the enclosed flyers and registration forms are given to the teachers, counselors, advisors, etc., most likely to know and encourage participation among those girls who would benefit from this type of program? Please make additional copies as needed. Contact me by phone at 610-499-4607, or email (Vicki.L.Brown@Widener.edu) for further information.

Engineering is a fascinating and rewarding profession, which attracts many bright students because of the endless career possibilities and the potential for financial success. Sadly, I have often heard young women comment that they hesitate to express a budding interest in engineering or other technical fields, because of a fear of appearing “different.” These are the young women we particularly want to reach! I am looking forward to meeting potential female engineers from your school at our camp in February.

Sincerely,

Vicki L. Brown, Ph.D., P.E.

Associate Professor of Civil Engineering

Widener University

The Society of Women Engineers and Widener University

Engineering Mini-Camp

for GIRLS in Grades 9-12

Saturday February 12, 2000

9 AM – 4 PM

Widener University Main Campus

Chester, PA

High school girls interested in science and math can explore engineering careers in a hands-on laboratory setting with women engineers from the Philadelphia section of the Society of Women Engineers and female engineering students from Widener University.

Schedule:

9:00 – 9:30 Check-in/Continental Breakfast

9:30 – 10:15 Welcome/Introductions

10:30 – 11:30 Laboratory Session #1

11:45 – 12:45 Lunch/Female Engineering Student Experience

1:00 - 2:00 Laboratory Session #2

2:15 - 3:15 Laboratory Session #3

3:30 - 4:00 Closing/Camp Evaluation

For an application Dr. Vicki L. Brown

or more information (610) 499-4607

please contact: e-mail: Vicki.L.Brown@widener.edu

Register On-Line Today

Enrollment Limited So Apply Early!!

Funded by the Society of Women Engineers through a Grant from the Exxon Education Foundation

Society of Women Engineers/Widener University

Engineering Mini-Camp for Girls in Grades 9-12

February 12, 2000

Widener University – Chester, PA

Application Form

Name:

Address:

City State Zip

E-mail: Phone: Fax:

High School: Grade:

School District

Please help us plan a better camp for you by answering the following questions.

1. I am interested in (check all that apply):

Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering

Electrical Engineering Mechanical Engineering

Computer Engineering Networks/Data Communication

Environmental Engineering Other (specify):

2. Check the statement that best describes you.

I am definitely going to major in engineering in college.

I am thinking about a career in engineering but am undecided.

I haven’t really considered engineering as a career option.

3. My decision about my college major will be most influenced by:

My parents My friends

Teacher Guidance Counselor

Other (specify):

4. What interests me most about a possible engineering career is the:

Good salaries Opportunity to apply science/math

Work engineers do Potential to help people/society

Other (specify):

5. What would be helpful to me in making a decision about whether or not to major in engineering is (please rank in order of importance, with 1 = most important and 7 = least important):

Meeting women who are engineers

Talking with people (men or women) who are engineers

Getting to know female engineering students

Talking with engineering students (male or female doesn’t matter)

Getting a chance to see what engineers actually do

Information about the different types of engineering

Information about different types of jobs and salary ranges

6. If a woman engineer volunteered to be my “mentor” I would call/contact her to ask questions and discuss careers in engineering.

Yes No Don’t Know

7. If a female engineering student volunteered to be my mentor, I would call/contact her to ask questions and discuss careers in engineering.

Yes No Don’t Know

8. I would be just as likely to call/contact a male engineering mentor as I would a female mentor.

Yes No Not Sure

9. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very little, 5 = very much), how well do you understand what it is engineers do?

1 2 3 4 5

10. On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = very little, 5 = very much), how much do you know about the different types of engineering (for example, chemical engineering, civil engineering, etc)?

1 2 3 4 5

Note: Enrollment in the mini-camp is limited to a maximum of 50 girls, on a first-come basis. You will be notified if there is a space available for you or not. If not, you will be placed on a waiting list. Out of courtesy to girls who may be placed on the waiting list, we ask that you please cancel your enrollment by emailing Vicki.L.Brown@Widener.edu if you will not be able to attend.

January 24, 2000

Thank you for registering for the Society of Women Engineers/Widener University Engineering Mini-Camp for Girls. Your application has been accepted, and we look forward to seeing you on Saturday, February 12. Camp check-in and a continental breakfast are from 9:00 to 9:30 AM in the 2^nd floor lobby of Kirkbride Hall. At 9:30, there will be an opening session in room 108 Kirkbride Hall. The 3:30 PM closing session will also be held in room 108, followed by camp dismissal from the 2^nd floor lobby at 4:00 PM. You will get the rest of your schedule at check-in. Lunch will be provided.

Directions to Widener and a campus map are enclosed. You may park in the campus parking lot on the corner of 17^th and Walnut Streets, directly across 17^th Street from Kirkbride Hall.

To confirm your camp registration, you must fill out the enclosed parental permission slip (parent or guardian’s signature is required) and return it to us by February 3, 2000. The permission slips can be faxed to 610-499-4059 (please mark them for Attn: Eleanor Charlier), or mailed to the address shown on the form. If we do not receive your permission slip by Thursday, February 3 we will cancel your registration and assign your space to another girl.

We were pleased and excited to have so many girls from the Philadelphia area register for this camp, but we regret that for every girl we accepted, there was one we had to turn away because we did not have space for her. Please let us know immediately if something comes up that will keep you from attending our camp, so that we can invite someone else in your place. You can call Mrs. Eleanor Charlier at 610-499-4042 to cancel your registration.

February weather can be unpredictable. Call 610-499-4607 after 6:30 AM the day of the camp, if you would like to check on the camp’s status. We plan to run the camp as scheduled, unless the weather turns really nasty. I look forward to meeting you on February 12^th.

Sincerely,

Vicki L. Brown, Ph.D., P.E.

Faculty Advisor

Society of Women Engineers, Widener Student Section

Girls’ Engineering Mini-Camp Permission Slip

Return by February 3, 2000 to:

Department of Civil Engineering

Widener University

One University Place

Chester, PA 19013

FAX: (610) 499-4059 Attn: Eleanor Charlier

I give permission for my daughter, ___________________________________, to attend and participate in the one-day Engineering Mini-Camp at Widener University on February 12, 2000. She is enrolled in grades 9-12, and is in good health (please describe any applicable health problems on the next page).

During this activity I, _________________________________, can be reached at (______)_____________________ (please provide phone number where you can be contacted during the camp). If I cannot be reached in the event of an emergency, the following adults are authorized to act in my behalf.

Name____________________________ Phone (_____)___________________

If neither I nor the authorized persons listed above can be contacted, in the event of an emergency I authorize the adults in charge at the camp to contact a physician at my expense for whatever treatment the attending physician recommends. Contact the following physician and/or hospital if I cannot be reached.

Doctor’s Name_____________________ Phone (_____)___________________

I give my permission to Widener University and the Society of Women Engineers to use any photos of my daughter from the Girls’ Engineering Mini-Camp, for the purposes of promoting the camp.

I agree to the above.

(Parent/Legal Guardian Signature) Date

Medical Information

Girl’s Name_________________________ Date of Birth__________________

1. If your daughter has a disability, please indicate what special needs she will require: _________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________

2. Does your daughter have any allergies? Yes_______ No _______

If yes, please indicate:

Food_______________________________________________________

Drug_______________________________________________________

Other______________________________________________________

3. Does your daughter have any other medical problems?

Yes_________ No_________

If Yes, please explain: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Health Care Information

Name of Insurance Provider__________________________________________

Policy Number______________________ Group Number__________________

Call for Volunteers - Philadelphia Section Newsletter

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR AN ENGINEERING MINI-CAMP for GIRLS

The Philadelphia section and Widener University will be cosponsoring a one-day engineering camp for girls in grades 9-12 on Saturday February 12, 2000. The camp will be held on the Widener University campus in Chester, PA, from 9 AM to 4 PM, and is funded by a grant from the Exxon Education Foundation through a SWE Program Development Grant (we were approved for funding of one camp!).

High school girls interested in science and math will explore engineering careers in a hands-on laboratory setting with members from the local SWE sections and female engineering students from Widener University's student section. Each lab will be led by a volunteer "camp counselor" from the local professional sections, who will not only assist the girls in completing a laboratory project but will also talk about her work and explain how the lab project relates to that work. For example, a chemical engineer from DuPont might lead a laboratory project on fermentation, while explaining about her career as a process engineer. All girls will participate in three laboratory projects while interacting with three different SWE volunteers, as the groups rotate from lab project to lab project. The camp schedule is

Time Activity

9:00 - 9:30 Registration/Continental Breakfast

9:30 - 10:15 Welcome/Introductions/Careers Video

10:30 - 11:30 Laboratory Session #1

11:45 - 12:45 Lunch/Female Engineering Students

1:00 - 2:00 Laboratory Session #2

2:15 - 3:15 Laboratory Session #3

3:30 - 4:00 Closing/Camp Evaluations

To accommodate 50 girls, five volunteer camp counselors will be recruited from the local sections membership. Each volunteer will lead a laboratory activity related to her area of engineering expertise, repeated for three different groups of 10 girls. We want to expose the girls to the wide diversity of possible engineering careers. Content of any individual laboratory session is less important than the contact between the high school girls and the SWE volunteers; laboratory activities are intended primarily to facilitate communication and provide counselors with a context for discussion of engineering careers.

WE NEED HELP!!!! If you would like to volunteer for what is shaping up to be a worthwhile, fun project please contact Vicki Brown (610-499-4607 or email Vicki.L.Brown@Widener.edu). If you'd like to help out but don't have any ideas for a good lab activity, don't worry. We'll help come up with one that suits your background and is easy to perform. Remember - we want the girls to have an opportunity to network with women in engineering and maybe learn a little about what it's like to be a woman engineer. The lab activities are only meant as an "ice-breaker," although I've gotten several suggestions that certainly have the potential to be real crowd pleasers!

Potential Lab Activities

Following is a list of 12 different lab activities that should be safe and reasonably easy to perform, although the scope of some of them may have to be cut back to fit the 60 minute time frame. I did allow 15 minutes between activities for break time and to allow for some activities that might run a little long. Keep in mind that we will only really need 5 of these, if we run the same 5 labs in each of the 3 scheduled lab periods. We could “mix and match;” i.e., run more than 5 different labs, but not run each lab for every lab period. Projects marked with ** are ones for which I have or can get additional information. Ideally, counselors should be paired with activities that can be related to some aspect of their careers, so they can use the labs to talk about their experience as an engineer. Ideas for other labs are enthusiastically welcome, although they will first have to be reviewed for safety and cost considerations, and to make sure we’ll have the necessary equipment and facilities to perform them.

Civil/Structural Engineering

There are a number of possibilities for different types of structures the girls can build. Both Knex and Lego have bridge sets we could buy for the camp. The Knex set is completely self contained and comes with an educator’s guide. The Lego set includes some specialized components and an educators guide, but must be supplemented with other inexpensive materials. Another route would be to build towers with drinking straws and masking tape – or possibly add twine and stay with bridge building. Keep in mind that the girls will only have 60 minutes of working time to design and build. We can’t get too elaborate, especially as we want to get a conversation going in which you can talk about how what they’re doing in the lab is related to what a structural engineer does. Some different approaches could be:

1. **Bridge building – Working in teams of 2-3, the girls build a model bridge from KNex. The bridge crosses a one foot wide river. Three inch tall boats must be able to pass under the bridge, and the bridge must be able to hold at least three pounds of weight. Different types of KNex pieces have different costs associated with them. The idea is to meet the design requirements while minimizing the cost. This same idea could also be done with Legos, although I think the building might go faster with the KNex. We’d need to put together visuals showing advantages/disadvantages/applications of different types of bridges, that would help get the girls started on their design. Or, we could forget the cost aspect and organize the girls in teams of 4, give them masking tape, a box of drinking straws, and some twine, explaining that sometimes engineers

2. have to get the job done with whatever materials are available locally. It might be effective to have one group of 4 girls working with straws while 2 other groups of 3 girls build for cost effectiveness with the KNex.

3. Tower building – The other structure that comes to mind is a tower, although KNex or Legos could be used if we brought in cost effectiveness again. We could have the girls work in teams of 2 to build the lowest cost tower that is at least 42 (??) inches high and can support a specified weight (1 or 2 lbs?) to be applied at the top. Another fun (and possibly messy!) activity would be to supply each team of 3-4 girls with a box of drinking straws, scissors, and masking tape, and have them design and build the tallest possible free-standing tower that will support a raw egg. This type of project would emphasize the teamwork aspect of engineering, but the counselor could point out the realities of working with the limits of your material.

Civil Engineering/Water Distribution Systems

4. **Pasta Water System for a Community – This lab would put the girls to work planning a water distribution system for a small town, then building it out of pasta. The city’s water supply could come from an elevated tank on the outskirts of town, and water would have to be supplied to the residential, commercial, and industrial sections of the community. Different size pasta would be used for distribution and feeder lines. The “community” wouldn’t have to be elaborate, but should be fairly large and would need to include the streets and buildings. If possible, including some change in elevation would make it more realistic and challenging. The community would have to be put together in advance and could be built on a sheet of plywood or maybe just laid out on a large tabletop. Different size boxes could be labeled and used as different type buildings – for example, a large shoebox for a factory, child sized shoebox for a school, with smaller boxes or wooden blocks for individual homes. A jar or tin can could represent the elevated tank. The girls would then layout the water distribution system. I think I’d stay away from attempting to have the girls build a “working model” with running water!

Civil/Mechanical Engineering Structures

5. **Roller Coaster Design – Using several lengths of pipe insulation (cut in half), scissors, and duct tape, the girls will build their own roller coasters and use marbles as the “cars” to test them. Use classroom chairs, etc. as supports and tape the coaster in place. It might be a good idea to have 2 or 3 teams of girls working on different coasters, using different starting heights (say 3, 4.5, and 6 feet). They should try to build the wildest ride they can that still delivers the

marbles to the end. Have them make turns and dips as tight as possible, measuring the radius of the turns at the points where they work without a crash. The counselor can talk about the underlying physics principles, and how they are put to work in an engineering project. I don’t imagine anybody has any work experience designing amusement park rides, but this could be led by either a structural or mechanical engineer who has a background in equipment design.

Mechanical Engineering/Equipment Design

6. **Powered Mechanisms – Both Knex and Lego have a variety of building sets for classroom use that demonstrate applications of gear, pulley, and motor components. Knex are called Simple Machines, but there is also Lego Dacta. There are basically two ways to go here. We could purchase one of these sets, and have the girls use the components to build simple working models – for example, KNex has teacher’s notes for building a pedal-powered potter’s wheel with crown gears. Given the time limitation, it might work better to go the other route - use larger, more involved models that are pre-built and have the girls figure out how to mobilize them using motors, belts, etc. I can volunteer my 11 year old son for pre-building models, if necessary – he loves to work with either system and can put anything together from a set of instructions (and some things without the instructions!). For example, I could have him build the ferris wheel and merry go round from his Big Ball Factory, and the lab could focus on designing the belt and gearing system and connecting it up to the motor to get it to operate. The ferris wheel is fairly large – about 3 feet in diameter. In fact, the girls could be divided into groups and each group work on a different gear arrangement for it. This would allow them to see how different drive arrangements can operate the wheel at different speeds. The counselor could talk about practical applications of gear boxes and transmissions. Other applications are also possible, dependingon the counselor’s background. We also have a KNex solar panel that could possibly be used to provide power from an alternate energy source. Or a different type of model could be used – maybe some sort of conveyor system?

7. Household Appliances – A lab like this would involve one or two common items (for example a toaster, can opener, or even something like a stapler), and have the girls take them apart to find out what’s inside and how they work. The counselor could them explain about why the products were designed they way they were, talk about mass-production techniques and its impact on the design process. Items would have to be fairly inexpensive and chosen to make sure the girls can get them apart. It would be great if the girls could put them back together, but if not the lesson on why mass-produced items are made the way they are would be just as valuable. This lab might fit real well in an hour format,

but it would be important for the counselor to make sure the girls understand that in taking apart something someone else designed, they don’t get to see the really fun aspect of product – the creativity of the design process and the satisfaction of seeing something you designed being used by people.

Mechanical/Electrical Engineering

8. **Generators and Motors - Lego Dacta makes an Energy, Work, Power set that is intended to be used to show energy conversion and distribution, efficiency, and for students to learn about generators and motors. The set is fairly expensive ($250), but the budget can probably handle it (depending on what other labs will be done). It also comes with an Applications Guide that will provide suggestions for how to use the set. This might make a good lab for someone working in the power industry to do. It might be worthwhile to approach PECO’s community relations department about sponsoring this lab, and paying for the Lego set.

Electrical Engineering

8. **Electronic Gameboard – Girls work in teams of two to design (?) and build the circuitry for an electronic gameboard. A question is selected by placing an alligator clip probe on the question’s contact. An answer is then selected by touching the pointed probe to the chosen answer’s contact. If the correct answer is selected, an LED will glow; an incorrect answer will not light up. The counselor could explain how the system could be made more sophisticated through the use of logic gates, so that correct answers light up green and incorrect light up red, or how sounds (a bell and a buzzer, for instance) could be used in place of the lights. This project could possibly be modified to include the logic gate and still fit the hour-long format, if limited to a couple of “True/False” questions per team, where each team is supplied with the necessary components and gets a lot of early guidance on how to layout their board. A pegboard and nuts and bolts can be used to form terminal strips for interconnecting components and wiring. All supplied components should have attached pigtails as necessary so that no soldering is required.

9. **Logic Gates – If the electronic gameboard idea is too much to fit into an hour timeframe, there is an already-developed lab on simple logic gates that is given to our first term freshmen engineering students in their “Introduction to Engineering” course, and should translate well to use in the mini-camp. It would be important for the counselor to talk about “real world” applications of logic gates.

10. **Simple Filters – This is another lab given to the freshman engineering students that should work well for the mini-camp. Students can see the effects of their filter designs on the oscilloscope.

Computer Simulations/Chemical Engineering

11. **Process Simulation using HYSYS software - HYSYS is a software package that allows students to piece together chemical plants and test their performance by simulating the material and energy flows. The software is available in our computer classroom, where it can easily be demonstrated. Widener chemical engineering students (our SWE President and Vice-President) have developed an application to show the assembly and simulation of a chemical plant for the dehydrogenation of i-butane to –i-butene, which could be used for the mini-camp. Other applications that might be more pertinent to the counselor’s background could also be developed, although this will require the counselor to either have access to HYSYS software or come to Widener to use our software.

Industrial/Forensic Engineering

12. **Perception/Reaction Time – Students, working in pairs, would determine their perception/reaction time under visual, audible, and sensory stimulation. This can be done by having the student grasp a yardstick that is allowed to drop through their fingers, and relating the distance it falls to their perception/reaction time. Some basic statistical analysis can then be done with the results from all members of the group to determine average perception/reaction time. The counselor can talk about how industrial engineers might have to account for perception/reaction times in setting up an assembly line or in designing a manufacturing procedure, or how perception/reaction time affects accident reconstruction.

Mini Camp Lab MasterSchedule

Girls were divided into 8 lab groups (A-H), maximum of 12 girls per group.

Activity

First

Second

Third

Motors and Generators

Vickie Land

K218

Tower Building

Amy Ward

K212

Logic Gates

Carole Stowell & JoAnn Koskol

K320

Aerodynamics & Flight

Maryann Skehan (AM) & Donna Guczewski (PM)

K210

Computer Simulation of Chemical Processes

Sarah Nelson, Anastasia Venable & Sonia Stewart

HAL Lab/K332

Reaction Kinetics

Donna Guczewski (AM), JoEllen Tardiff (PM) & Jerry Maffia

K125

Electric Power

Carmen McMurtry

K208

Roller Coaster Design

Deena Gratton

K209

Widener University/Society of Women Engineers

Engineering Mini-Camp for Girls in Grades 9-12

Saturday, February 12, 2000

Schedule of Activities

Group A

Time Activity Location

9:00 - 9:30 Check-in/Breakfast 2^nd floor lobby, Kirkbride Hall

9:30 – 10:15 Opening Session Room 108 Kirkbride Hall

Vicki Brown, Widener University

10:30 – 11:30 Logic Gates Room 320 Kirkbride Hall

Carole Stowell, Lockheed Martin & JoAnn Koskol, Widener

11:45 – 12:45 Lunch Webb Room, University Center

Engineering Students from Widener’s SWE section will

go with you from room 320 to the Webb Room for lunch and then return you to Kirkbride for the afternoon sessions. Take this opportunity to find out what it’s like to be an engineering student!

1:00 – 2:00 Motors & Generators Room 218 Kirkbride Hall

Vickie Land, Independent Consultant

2:15 – 3:15 Reaction Kinetics Room 125 Kirkbride Hall

JoEllen Tardiff, Solutia & Jerry Maffia, Widener

3:30 –4:00 Closing Session Room 108 Kirkbride Hall

Chips and sodas will be served in the 2^nd floor lobby of Kirkbride Hall. Make sure you fill out the camp evaluation and get your “goody” bag (including your camp Tshirt) to take home with you. The goody bag also includes phone numbers and email addresses for today’s camp counselors. Please contact them after the camp if you want more information about engineering careers!

Camp dismissal/pickup is at 4 PM from the 2^nd floor lobby of Kirkbride Hall.

Engineering Girls Camp Evaluation

Please evaluate today’s camp using a rating scale of 1 to 5, where 1 = worst and 5 = best.

1. Registration procedures 1 2 3 4 5

2. Lab activities 1 2 3 4 5

3. Opening session 1 2 3 4 5

4. Interaction with women engineers 1 2 3 4 5

5. Interaction with engineering students 1 2 3 4 5

6. Food and facilities 1 2 3 4 5

7. Organization 1 2 3 4 5

8. Overall impression of Widener 1 2 3 4 5

9. How much I learned about what

engineers do 1 2 3 4 5

10. How much I learned about

different types of engineering 1 2 3 4 5

11. How much fun I had 1 2 3 4 5

12. Coming today will help me decide whether

or not to major in engineering in college. Yes No

13. I will contact one of the women engineers

or engineering students I met today if I have

questions or want some advice about engineering. Yes No

14. I am more interested in or excited about an

engineering career after attending this camp. Yes No

15. I will consider attending one of Widener’s

Engineering Summer Camps this year. Yes No

16. I would be interested in spending a day with a

woman engineer at her workplace. Yes No

Want us to try to set this up? We’ll need your name. ________________

17 Please rate the labs you did on a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 = worst and 5 = best.

Motors/Generators 1 2 3 4 5

Tower Building 1 2 3 4 5

Logic Gates 1 2 3 4 5

Aerodynamics/Flight 1 2 3 4 5

Computer Simulation 1 2 3 4 5

Reaction Kinetics 1 2 3 4 5

Electric Power 1 2 3 4 5

Roller Coaster Design 1 2 3 4 5

18. Was there a lab you would have liked to do or a type of engineering you would have liked to learn about that we didn’t include?

19. Please share any other suggestions you have for improving the camp.

20. Any other comments?

Engineering Contacts

The following people would be very happy to answer questions or give advice about engineering careers and/or majoring in engineering. This list includes the women engineers who volunteered to run today’s lab activities.

Society of Women Engineers Widener University

120 Wall Street/11^th Floor School of Engineering