Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - The University of Wisconsin-Platteville Society of Women Engineers in conjunction with Green Hills Girl Scouts with support from Women in Engineering are hosting a Sky's the Limit: Careers in Engineering and Technology youth program.

This is the second year for the Sky's the Limit program. This year the Girl Scouts of Green Hills Council obtained a $10,000 grant from Lockheed Martin, to introduce high school women to careers in engineering and technology. They received the grant last year in the amount of $5,000.

Throughout the weekend, young women will work in teams to create a balsa wood tower that will be tested on an earthquake simulator. The women will have to do research to determine how to build their tower and will have to work as a team to create the tower. They also will prepare a presentation to be given on the single day in December explaining the design of their tower. The weekend will also include presentations from professional engineers and engineering societies on campus and other engineering activities.

"The UWP Women in Engineering Program has developed this initiative to encourage and support young women as they explore careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The Society of Women Engineers is a group of volunteers who have a strong interest in mentoring these young women throughout the weekend. It is really rewarding to see the confidence in the young women grow and get excited about engineering. Hands-on learning and problem solving with young women who share similar interests builds a strong support network and increases the level of confidence in the STEM field as a stepping stone to success in the future." said Jenna Walsh, president of Society of Women Engineers.

There are two options open to young women ages 13 to 17 to attend; the first is Oct. 26 to 28 and Dec. 1; the second option is Nov. 2 to 4 and Dec. 8. The full weekend events will be held at the Pioneer Farm, with participants staying in the Cooper Living and Learning Center. The single day in December will be spent on the campus in Doudna Hall and presentations will be given there.

The cost is $40 per student and the registration deadline is Oct. 5. For more information about the Sky's the Limit program, contact Tammy Salmon-Stephens (608) 342-1563 or salmont@uwplatt.edu or Diane Wettstaedt (608) 348-7203 www.dwettstaedt@gsgreenhills.org.

Contact: Tammy Salmon-Stephens, director, Women in Engineering, (608) 342-1563, salmont@uwplatt.edu Written by: Lisa D. McLean, UWP Public Relations, (608) 342-1194,mcleanl@uwplatt.edu