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Student Programs K-12

Student Programs

Research shows that girls often stop “seeing” themselves in the fields of math and science by the time they reach high school. To combat this phenomenon, SWE created a collection of outreach programs that seek to change the current perspective of STEM fields among girls and their adult advocates. The long-term goal of SWE’s K-12 Outreach programming is to open pathways for girls to become engineers and create gender equity in the field.

The SWENext program offers a great opportunity for students to join SWE and provides resources for parents and educators to engage girls in engineering and technology. Membership in SWENext is free, and girls 13-18 can sign up on their own; girls under 13 are allowed to join when the parent agrees to be the primary contact. Current benefits to members, families, and educators are as follows:

  • High school awards and recognition programs
  • High school leadership training, networking, and outreach
  • Meetups and hands-on events at our conferences around the world
  • SWENext Clubs and club challenges
  • Monthly newsletters with downloadable engineering activities
  • Up-to-date information about outreach events (camps, competitions, etc.) hosted by SWE and its partners
  • A catalog of available scholarships for engineering school offered by SWE and partner organizations
  • Best practices on applying for scholarships and internships
  • Quarterly learning opportunities, where engineers from various disciplines discuss the work that they do
  • Resources for families and educators that can help effectively promote a career in engineering to their daughters and/or female engineering students