AIAA-NNJ Section participates in “Introduce a Girl To Engineering” Event
On Feb 27 2014, the AIAA NNJ section participated in the local "Introduce a Girl to Engineering" Engineering Fair at Picatinny Arsenal. The event was held after hours from 5-7 so that it would not interfere with the students' regular school day. As a result, not only students but parents and teachers were able to participate as well. In total, around 50 female high school students attended the fair and there was about half that number in accompanying adults.
The purpose of this event was to introduce young women to different fields in Engineering. Other stations included Textile Physics, 3D Printing, Radiation and Environmental Engineering, Robotics, Nanotechnology, Chemical Engineering, and more. Rutgers University also had a presence with the Assistant Dean of Engineering and Science.
Our table was a big hit with the students who had a lot of fun with our give-aways, the space shuttle, the model planes, and even the flower seeds. By our count, at least 48 students and/or teachers came by and took a bag of goodies. What we can improve on for next time is to provide business cards for the volunteers who wish to follow up with any of the students. We had some rather extended conversations with interested students and had to write our emails down several times on pamphlets for the students who asked. In addition, our banner did not explicitly say "Aeronautics and Astronautics." The table cloth becomes blocked by bodies and is not easy to read from further away. Quite a few students did not stop at the table on their first pass because they did not know what we were. Next year, we should have a big sign that says "Rocket Science."
All-in-all, great fun was had by everyone. This is a yearly recurring event and we will definitely participate again next time.
Champion – Ms. Yin Chen