Educating Girls for Engineering (EDGE)
General Electric
Award Date: 01/01/2015 | Award Amount: $10,000 | Effective Dates: 01/01/2015 – 12/31/2015
Project Personnel: Cherrice Traver (Electrical & Computer Engineering)
Project Summary: EdGE is a pre-college educational enrichment program designed to help redress the serious and continuing under-representation of women in engineering by illustrating to female high school girls the humanitarian aspects of the discipline. The program is designed to give participants academic learning experiences not available in the standard high school curriculum, as well as encourage humanistic approaches to group activities. The program’s unifying theme of “Toys and Tools for Disabled Children” focuses on developing technologies to enhance the learning activities and communication skills of children with special needs. Through intensive course modules and team projects, the program aims to instill in participants a compassionate, civic-minded approach to addressing societal issues. The EdGE program balances classroom lectures, educational modules, and laboratory experiences with field trips, team projects, and formal presentations. The program’s academic component is divided into three mini-courses: 1. Bioengineering Design Studio: Students learn about the applications of technology for the design of devices for disabled children. 2. Robotics Design Studio: Students utilize robotic technology to design communications devices for disabled children. 3. Communications: Students practice classroom exercises and activities designed to emphasize self-awareness, interpersonal communications, and effective presentation techniques. The final participant deliverables for all summer EdGE programs are innovative, engineered tools and toys for disabled children. By following the objectives for each mini-course, participants will develop the theoretical and technical knowledge to not only build these tools and toys but also to make educated, informed decisions about their career paths. We are striving to close the gender gap in engineering by addressing societal needs with engineering techniques and solutions.