Conestoga news

October 19, 2015 7:36 AM

Girls explore careers in engineering

Girls in grades seven to 10 had the chance to learn more about Conestoga's engineering programs at Go ENG Girl - a free event held at the Cambridge campus on Saturday, October 17. 

go eng girl collage.jpg
Girls in grades seven to 10 learned how to design and construct balloon-propelled rescue vechicles at Go ENG Girl on October 17, 2015.

Go ENG Girl was conceived by the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering (ONWiE) 11 years ago to promote engineering to young women. ONWiE is a collaboration between the schools of engineering across Ontario to support current female engineers and students and to encourage careers in engineering. Conestoga is a member of ONWiE and this was its third Go ENG Girl since receiving accreditation for its engineering degrees. 

Students visiting the campus participated in hands-on activities, spoke with students in Conestoga's engineering programs and toured the Cambridge campus. Parents in attendance were provided with an information session and listened to guest speakers, including former student Katie Holtz - a 2007 Mechanical Systems Engineering graduate who shared her experiences. Holtz said that while she's often the only female engineer in the workplace, she doesn't believe gender should get in the way of anyone reaching their goals. She also said the fun in being a woman in engineering is the ability to bring a different point of view to a design or a problem. 

In 2010, Conestoga was the first college in Ontario (and the second Institute of Technology in Canada) to have an accredited engineering degree program; the college now offers two accredited engineering degrees.

Learn more through the Engineering website and the Women in Engineering and Technology website