The week of MIT Women’s Initiative presentations and learning activities at schools in south Orange County by the team of MIT engineering students has ended with great success. Based upon the positive feedback from student participants, we are able to look back at this remarkable and distinctive offering, knowing that this event placed STEM in a positive light for those students who attended this event. With the large number of schools and students involved, the work for the MIT team was grueling, but they never complained. They eagerly accepted additional presentations and gave as much time as possible to the students.
Each session began with a presentation by the team of two MIT engineering students to the entire student group. Students were then broken up into two groups who then participated in two different hands-on learning activities. Then the two groups rotated to the other learning activity.
During the initial presentation, each presenter shared her own background prior to entering college, enabling students to better relate to her. Then the presenters painted pictures of their lives as engineering students and researchers at MIT. They discussed both personal and academic aspects, further enabling students to relate to them.
Anyone walking past this event and observing would notice all student attention completely focused on the presenters during the presentation, and one hundred percent student engagement during the hands-on learning activities.
We thank MIT for establishing this MIT Women’s Initiative Program, the MIT engineering students, Jane and Tooba for their efforts, SAMPE for funding the program, HUNTER Programs for helping organize the event, and the schools for helping organize and getting the word out to students.
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