
The purpose of the SWENext High School Leadership Academy (SHLA) is to inspire high school students to pursue careers in engineering and technology.
SWENext High School Leadership Academy (SHLA) is a program that provides awareness and inspires high school students to pursue careers in engineering and technology. SHLA provides students with leadership training, college advice, self-development topics, and the opportunity to experience the SWE community first-hand through networking, coaching, and mentoring to learn techniques to pursue STEM careers.
The SHLA program provides year-round programming in addition to a program held in conjunction with SWE's Annual Conference to provide high-school students with training and development opportunities in five key program tracks including:
- College preparation
- STEM pathways
- Leadership
- Self-development
- Inclusion and cultural awareness
To become familiar with engineering pathways and develop a STEM identity, it is critical that STEM-interested high school girls have access to women in the engineering workforce. SHLA provides the opportunity for students to experience the SWE community first-hand through networking, coaching, and mentoring to learn techniques to pursue STEM careers.
Year-Round SHLA Learning Events
SHLA core year-round programming will be delivered using the following methods:
SWENext TV is live learning and on-demand content based on SHLA's key program tracks. All on-demand content will be hosted in the SHLA Google Classroom along with additional resources and materials for students. Check out the SWENext TV learning events below:
- Techniques For Advocating For Yourself, on-demand now available - view here
- College Considerations, on-demand now available - view here.
- Resumes and Letters of Recommendation, on-demand now available - view here.
- College Essays and The Common Application, on-demand now available - view here.
- Scholarships and Financial Aid, on-demand now available - view here.
Upcoming SHLA Programming
- Empowering Others through STEM, Tuesday, January 12
- College Advisor Panel - What to Expect as an Engineering Major, Tuesday, March 9
- Checking Your Bias: How To Promote An Inclusive SWENext Community, Tuesday, May 11

To learn more about SHLA, please contact swenext@swe.org.
This project is based upon work partially supported by the generosity of the Motorola Solutions Foundation, Lockheed Martin, General Motors and Cisco.