The College of Engineering opened its doors to 15 Girl Scout troops for an innovative day of critical thinking and teamwork. The young scouts put aside their entrepreneurial skills to learn about the fundamentals of teamwork and problem-solving through immersive design challenges. Each project was carefully curated to align with the Girl Scouts "Think like an engineer" guidelines which require the troops to identify a problem, come up with a sustainable solution, develop a team plan, put the plan into action, and reflect on what they learned.
Participants took on the challenge of using a bike pump to propel water bottles skyward while enhancing aerodynamics with handmade cones. Other challenges featured stacking their famous cookie boxes as a sweet replacement for Jenga pieces and racing balloon-powered water bottles around the classroom.
The event was spearheaded by industrial engineering professor, Nina Miville, a 12-year Girl Scouts leader and former troop member. Recently, Girl Scout Engineering Day was integrated into the Project Management for Engineers course curriculum. Although this event serves as a light switch for many young girls, some decide early on to not pursue engineering. The Girl Scouts Research Institute has studied girls' attitudes towards STEM subjects. Research reveals that many girls lose interest when the perception of their ability outweighs their actual skills or knowledge. Factors such as diminished confidence and the belief of not being good at math significantly influence this decline. However, shifting this perception can encourage more girls to pursue STEM fields.
"It’s a personal passion of mine to ensure that girls understand and have access to programs at a young age. More girls would become engineers if they knew more about the field," said Miville.
Events like "Girl Scout Engineering Day" play a crucial role in shaping the future of women in engineering. Under the guidance of Miville's students, these young participants have gained valuable insights and skills, laying the foundation for their STEM journeys.
