IN THE NEWS

In March 2011, close to 350 Girl Guides across Ontario completed their Engineering badge at university events coordinated for National Engineering Month. As a part of Canada’s largest national celebration of engineering and technology, members of the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE) worked with Girl Guides Ontario to offer badge day programs at 6 locations across the province.  ONWiE members felt that National Engineering Month was a perfect time to launch this initiative because it focuses on getting more girls interested in engineering and technology.

ONWiE volunteers contributed to NEM by offering programs that meet the requirements for the Science & Technology: Engineering badge as set by Girl Guides of Canada. Girls who took part had the chance to visit engineering schools and meet with female students and staff to learn firsthand about engineering.  They also took part in hands-on activities related to different types of engineering programs. Girls and leaders were able to leave with new skills, knowledge and inspiration about the world of engineering.

The Engineering Badge Day is a new initiative for ONWiE, which has offered Go ENG Girl/Géniales, les Filles engineering outreach programs for 6 successful years.  “The badge day programs reach a younger age group and we hope to see the Girl Guides at Go ENG Girl events in a few years” says Valerie Davidson, NSERC/RIM Chair for Women in Science and Engineering-Ontario. “It is important to catch their interest at an early age and to grow their awareness of the exciting opportunities in engineering.  Many fields are so new that parents and teachers may not be aware of them.”