Middle School, High School Girls See Manufacturing Up Close

Nearly 100 Connecticut middle and high school girls gained new insight into manufacturing and future career options at the 6th annual Connecticut. Dream It. Do It. Making It Real: Girls & Manufacturing Summit held last Tuesday at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield.

The event focused on careers and educational programs in manufacturing through exhibits, team-based workshops that replicated the manufacturing process, and interactive activities using new technologies such as 3-D printing, rapid prototyping technology, and augmented reality.

“Events like the Girl’s Summit are so important because they shed new opportunities on the girls. A lot of this is new information to them and it really broadens their horizons for what they can do in the future,” said Dr. Selena Morgan, executive director of elementary schools at Bridgeport Public Schools. There were nine schools from Bridgeport present.

The Girls Summit was presented by Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology (CCAT) in partnership with Sacred Heart University (SHU).  It was held at the university’s West Campus MakerSpace, an 11,000-square-foot prototyping lab for digital fabrication and advanced manufacturing.

“The MakerSpace puts the university at the forefront of training students on advanced digital manufacturing technology,” said Tolga Kaya, director of engineering and associate professor of engineering, SHU. “CCAT’s mission fits right in with our vision and we were extremely excited to collaborate and host their event to showcase the ever-evolving technological world to middle and high school girls.”

According to a 2017 Deloitte study of women in manufacturing, women comprise 47 percent of the general U.S. labor force, but only 29 percent are in manufacturing jobs.

“Young women need to be exposed to non-traditional jobs,” said Rhonda Leonard, lead engine mechanic, Pratt & Whitney. “I love to work with my hands, but I never knew I would end up as a jet engine mechanic, but I did know that I wasn’t cut out to be a secretary. I wanted to do something extraordinary.”

Leonard served as an Industry Ambassador for the day, one of four leading women in the industry assigned to each group in order to connect with the students during their activities, offering advice and sharing their experiences in the field.

“Engaging events like the Girls Summit are vital to inspire young girls to consider making manufacturing their future and help increase the number of women in the industry,” said Alyce Stiles, associate director, experiential STEM education, CCAT.

“Connecticut. Dream It. Do It., is funded by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development.

Portions of this story first appeared on the website of Sacred Heart University.