For the next three summers, Shelby, Rahina, Elizabeth and 26 other talented 13-year-olds from metro area middle schools will spend four weeks at the Wayne State University College of Engineering's 'Women in Engineering Training' summer program, now in its fourth summer.
For Shelby, the Wayne State Engineering program offers her an opportunity to explore her interest in computers. "A lot of the stuff I'm learning here will help me out in school," she says.
Women in Engineering Training, or WET for short, is like an engineering summer school with fun projects and Friday field trips. The girls attend computer class where they learn how to build their own websites. They take an aerospace class and learn about the Mars surface exploration projects while building model Mars Land Rovers and landscapes. They study algebra as well as communications.
On Fridays, the girls travel to nearby points of interest, including the Detroit Science Center, the Majestic Bowling Alley, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the WSU Planetarium, and the WSU Fitness Center.
"We want to motivate them before high school when their dreams are still strong," says Gerald Thompkins, associate dean and director of the program. "Whatever they end up doing with their lives, they'll have a better idea about what it might be like for them if they continue pursuing their interest in science and engineering. Meanwhile, they're having fun and making friends with girls their age with similar interests."
The teachers are all women. "We want to reinforce the idea that while engineering still remains a field dominated by men, young girls with dreams of pursuing an engineering career can pull their weight and make their mark in the field just as well as men," says Jasmin Roberson, the program's coordinator.
The College of Engineering has been graduating about 30 percent female engineers in the past several years, a bit higher than the national average, according to Thompkins. "We'd like to do even better."
The current group of 8th graders comes from various public and private middle schools, including Alonso Bates Academy, Birney Middle School, Dominican Academy, Golightly Education Center, Kosciuszko Middle School, Logon School, Nataki-Talibah School House of Detr, University Public, St. Joan of Arc, Burton International, Pierce Middle School, Post Middle School, Woodward Academy, St. Paul, and Hally Magnet. Most will return the next two summers leading up to their sophomore year in high school.
The program is funded by NASA and enhanced by FIRST Robotics, who supplied the Mars Lego kits for the girls' final project.
On the final day of camp, the girls presented their Mission Mars Robotic projects to parents at a closing ceremony at McGregor Memorial Conference Center.
"I like the hands-on experience and the extra time you get," says Elizabeth, "and you get feedback on what you don't understand."