SBISD middle school girls were among 200 students invited Feb. 16 to take part in the first-ever Exxon Mobil Girls in Engineering Festival, which was held at the Spring Branch Education Center, 9016 Westview. The Saturday program featured hands-on science experiments and demonstrations, panel discussions with female engineers and scientists, and information about career opportunities.
Middle school girls from the Spring Branch, Katy and Houston independent school districts were invited to the day-long opportunity to learn what it’s like to be an engineer or scientist. Only 2 percent of the engineers in the United States are female. SBISD Community Relations coordinated the event with Exxon Mobil Global Services Co.
“This is one of the most important things we can do,” district Community Relations Officer Linda Buchman told the Houston Chronicle This Week. “A lot of our kids are in the survival mode, and they’ve never had a chance to dream about what they’re going to do in the future. We’re hoping to excite them about math and science and infuse in their minds the idea that they could be engineers or work in a science field. Exxon Mobil has made a huge commitment to education, and we’re really proud and appreciative of that.”