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Making The Grade: Future Women Engineers Converge at UH
The University of Houston is taking steps to level the playing field of engineering
for females who are considering a career in this area of study.
Now in its third year, GRADE (Girls Reaching and Demonstrating Excellence)
Camp, a summer camp for high school girls entering grades 9 through 12, is
now taking
applications. Offered by the UH Cullen College of Engineering, GRADE Camp continues
to provide a much-needed resource to support this often underrepresented demographic
in the field of engineering.
“GRADE Camp is an excellent opportunity for high school females who are
either curious about or want more experience with engineering,” said Jenny
Ruchhoeft, program director for GRADE. “Participants not only get to interact
with female engineering students and faculty, but also get to speak candidly
with female engineers working in the Houston area. And that’s just the
networking and continuity aspect. The crux of the camp is the robotics project.
In the mornings, UH faculty members teach GRADE campers about underlying
engineering theory, such as voltage and currents, motors and generators, and
feedback control.
They then apply that knowledge during the labs each afternoon. In addition
to having a working, autonomous robot at the end of the week, the girls have
a solid
understanding of their robots, inner-workings and fundamental mechanics.
“The whole camp is very hand’s on and is lots of fun,” Ruchhoeft
said. “Plus, we cater the program to girls at all levels of engineering
knowledge and confidence. They are mentored by Society of Women Engineers (SWE)
undergraduates and receive as much or as little guidance as needed. Girls can
even request to be paired up with a friend.
On the last day of the camp, the girls present their week’s work to
parents and teachers. As a result of seeing what the campers learned, many
have requested
that the camp expand. Plans currently are under way to create an alternate
curriculum for the summer of 2006 to showcase environmental engineering.
Even after GRADE Camp is finished, participants are encouraged to foster
long-term connections with professional engineers through events such as the
Texas Space
Center SWE holiday party. Last year, Bonnie Dunbar, NASA astronaut and UH engineering
graduate, was the featured speaker at the party.
“Education is the cornerstone of our civilization,” Dunbar said. “The
pursuit of science and engineering provides the framework for our quality of
life and the exploration of new worlds.”
Four camps will be offered during the summer of 2005: June 20-24, June 27-July
1, July 11-15, and July 18-22. Each weeklong camp costs $200, and camp scholarship
applications are available for students with financial needs. All girls who
complete the camp become leigible for a one-time $1,000 scholarship if they
decide to
attend UH, enrolling in an engineering, natural science or mathematics major
their freshman year. GRADE Camp is funded through grants from Texas Workforce
Development and the National Science Foundation.
“Providing knowledge about what engineering is and which math and science
high school courses are needed before applying to an undergraduate engineering
program helps girls make strategic, informed choices,” said Eloisa Avalos,
one of the camp’s mentors. “I went from one major to another until
I found engineering. That’s what is great about this camp - they’ll
know what it is coming in.”
For more information visit www.egr.uh.edu/camps/grade>.
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