Whittenberg Girls Are Introduced to Engineering
Fourth grade girls from A. J. Whittenberg Elementary School celebrated Engineers Week by launching their own balloon rockets, with a little help from local professional women engineers from Fluor, GE, Hubbell Lighting, and Greenville County. “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” is a national event sponsored by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).
The excitement was evident on the girls’ faces as they learned about different types of engineering, including civil, mechanical, computer, chemical, and bioengineering. Serita Acker, director of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) at Clemson University, shared the many opportunities available to women who want to pursue a career in engineering. Acker is the author of Math, Science, and Engineering: It’s a Girl Thing.
The event culminated with a hands-on activity where teams of three girls launched balloon rockets to see how far they would travel.