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