Society of Women Engineers-Pittsburgh
Career Guidance Activities

The section participates in a number of activities helping young ladies pursue an interest in math
and or science. Certificate of Merit
The Certificate of Merit Award program is a national program honoring high school women having high achievement in math and science. It exists to encourage young ladies to consider engineering as a degree. It informs high school women, parents, teachers, and the public about opportunities for women in engineering. Each school nominates three young ladies. The awards are presented to the students at the year end school assembly.
Many SWE members go to the assemblies and present the awards personally to the students - certificates and a pen to the top female.

Expanding Your Horizons
Expanding Your Horizons in science and math is a national yearly conference for 6th to 12th grade young women interested in career options. The Math/Science Network, the originator and co-sponsor of the event, holds more than 70 Expanding Your Horizons conferences held nationwide each year.
The goals of the conference are to:

MATHCOUNTS
MATHCOUNTS is a national competition sponsored in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers
Typically held in February, SWE members help as proctors on exam day.

Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science
Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science is a state-wide organization of junior and senior high school students designed to stimulate and promote interest among its members through the development of research projects and investigations.
Student participants in this program are encouraged to conduct scientific investigations, prepare a written report, and present an oral discourse on their findings at the Regional Meetings. Scientists and mathematicians from colleges, industries and schools evaluate the papers. Winners from the regional competition go on to state competition.
In early February of each year several SWE members gather on the competition day to tally judges scores and present a savings bond to the top high school female and one to the top middle school female. Six certificates of excellence are also presented to the top scorers.

Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair
The Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair is sponsored by the Carnegie Science Center, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, teachers, corporations, and technical societies. Students conduct experiments in energy and environmental, life science, physical science, biology, chemistry, computers and robotics, ecology, math and statistics, physics, consumer science, earth and space, science, math and engineering research. Students conduct experiments to show ability in scientific research and creative presentation.
SWE members present cash awards to the top middle school project and the top senior high school project.

Space Camp
A nationally sponsored program, young minority girls are encouraged to submit an application to attend space camp in Huntsville, Alabama. In early August, ten young ladies, selected from a national pool of applicants, go to spend a week.

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