Shelley--thanks for sharing. I really like the idea of writing about a conference. How often do we attend a conference and get excited while listening to speakers and hearing new ideas, but return to home, jump into work, and forget about the conference? I know that happens to me. After my last conference I made a promise to myself that going forward I will write a blog about my reflections from a workshop, interaction with a speaker or another attendee, or hands-on experience at the conference.

Jackie, thanks for sharing this personal story about your journey in engineering and your mentoring experiences. It is clear from your blog that you helped change the mindset of the girls you mentored. I loved hearing how the girls became more comfortable with challenges. Imagine if every girl had someone to challenge and support her! We could have so many more young women going into engineering and technical fields.

Geek, nerd. What do these terms mean and what are their impact? It’s complicated. It depends on who is using them and how they’re being used. In my research at Techbridge Girls, I heard girls use these terms to describe people they imagined working in engineering and technology. Along with the terms, girls described engineers and tech workers in these ways--super stressed, working alone inside an office, and likely to be white and male. The stereotypes didn’t inspire them to want to pursue careers in engineering or computer science. On the flip side, I also heard girls embrace the terms geek and nerd. One year a group of Techbridge Girls created t-shirts for themselves. They brainstormed ideas and landed on “Geek is Chic” for their Techbridge Girls t-shirts. They were proud to wear the shirts and own the identity of being a geek, which for them was positive in their after-school program. There are a number of programs, organizations and books that use these terms. In Geek Girl Rising, authors Heather Cabot and Samantha Walravens celebrate women who are building tech start-ups, investing in each other’s ventures, and creating networks of support. “The book is a call to action for women to think big and act bold, to not allow the obstacles that lie in their path to stop them from achieving their goals, and to create a roadmap to success for others to follow.” Cal NERDS is a program at my alma mater, the University of California, Berkeley. The program is for non-traditional undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields. The program is all about building community and offering resources like academic counseling and research experience. It's about making a more diverse STEM workforce. So, while I wouldn’t use geek and nerd to recruit kids to STEM programs I do understand that these terms can be taken on to mean more than the stereotypes.

I love the idea of Novel Engineering--using literature to connect with engineering and inviting students to use the engineering design process to address challenges faced by characters. I would love to hear about books that could readily fit into Novel Engineering.

TC--thanks for sharing your personal account of your work as a Technical Wash Specialist. I never knew of such a position. Your honest account of what you didn't know at the beginning and how challenging that was is a gift to readers of your blog. Getting comfortable with not knowing and not being afraid to admit it and asking for help are important lessons for us all--for kids in middle school tackling new and challenging subject matter, to college freshman struggling through a challenging course, to adults taking on new projects. We can learn from your example that there are plenty of people ready and eager to help (if we ask) and plenty of resources online (if we know how to search and have resources to access them). Good luck in your senior year. I hope you continue to share your experiences on your journey in your studies and career.

I loved hearing about the meet up between Sneha Tharayil and Jennifer Love at the recent ASEE meeting. I wanted to share a few ideas that their meeting sparked for me. 1) Make the most of a conference. While there’s always a lot to learn from presentations and workshops, there are valuable opportunities awaiting us if we just make the effort to reach out and ask for guidance or express appreciation for what others are doing at the conference. The in-person connection can lead to a lasting relationship. 2) Ask for help. Sneha had an idea for an engineering activity but needed guidance. By reaching out through LinkEngineering, she connected with Jennifer who could help her. Don’t be afraid to reach out through communities like LinkEngineering or other means to ask a question or seek guidance. You’ll be pleasantly surprised how willing people are to assist. 3) Pay it forward. When you’ve been helped by someone, look for a chance to help someone else and let them know you are paying it forward.

Maribeth—thanks for sharing on this Workshop on Educator Capacity Building in PreK-12 Engineering Education. I was pleased to see that diversity and professional development were key elements of the agenda. Planning from the start on how to bring engineering to groups who may have limited access is key to committing to diversity. While it may seem to be challenging to introduce engineering experiences to students with disabilities, it just takes resourcefulness. I encourage teachers to engage with their students to find out what they want and need and together generate ideas and look for resources. From personal experience, I worked with educators and students at the California School for the Blind to introduce engineer design projects and found great success. You can learn more about the project, Explore it Afterschool [http://www.techbridgegirls.org/assets/files/what/publications/ExploreIt.pdf], and find STEM curricula and strategies to promote career exploration with students with visual impairments.

Greg – it’s great to see the National Academy of Engineering involving K-12 teachers in this important work. If we want to bring engineering to K-12 students, who better to involve in planning and implementing policy to help get it right? Donna Migdol brings expertise as a teacher and professional developer—and can often expertise on the perspectives of students and teachers. I also appreciated the reference to teachers who work with English language learners and special education students in the Proceedings of the Convocation. By including these students we can reach a broader groups of students who can bring innovative ideas to engineering with their unique perspectives. I look forward to reading the report and seeing what develops from this important work.

It’s not enough to just like engineering. For kids to imagine a future in engineering they need help to connect the dots between fun activities and careers. Role models like Amy and her team do just that! What I found especially exciting about Amy’s outreach is how it inspired kids in third grade. Learning about what engineering can do and who does engineering at such a young age can help reduce stereotypes and create positive ideas about a future in engineering. Can you imagine the dinner time conversations these students might have had after meeting Amy and learning about the many ways that engineers make the world a better place. Amy, thanks for sharing this experience and for making time to connect with the next generation of engineers.

This blog offers the perfect combination of knowledge about women’s engagement in engineering and a hands-on activity to celebrate Women’s History Month. I especially like the activity that Beth highlights in her blog—Engineering Ethics, the design challenge from Teach Engineering. Every product and service impacts groups differently and students can begin to understand this concept and the importance of having different perspectives around the table when ideas are generated, tested, and redesigned. I encourage educators—both classroom teachers and after-school educators—to bring in a role model in celebration of Women’s History Month. When properly supported, a visit with a role model will make a positive impact on youth and role models. Lastly, I hope that everyone considers how boys benefit just as much as girls from participation in activities during Women’s History Month.