In March 2019, the SWE Board of Directors approved the charter for a new SWE Committee, the Student Programs Committee.
The Student Programs Committee grew out the work of the K-12 Outreach Committee. Originally, SWE’s K-12 Outreach Committee existed to serve SWE members who were doing Outreach work in their sections. But like many of SWE’s committees, their vision was growing and the accompanying successes were prevalent. For example, in March 2015, the SWENext Program was added. SWENext was a way for K-12 students to be a part of the SWE Community before college. The Outreach Committee also expanded to serve an identified need: other adult advocates such as teachers and parents.
The work grew so large, the decision was made to split the Outreach Committee work into two parts.
The new Student Programs Committee serves pre-college students through the SWENext Program. They will provide relevant content and programming for SWENexters that will focus on establishing a rich community experience, encouraging SWE identity and providing leadership training to help them navigate the path to college.
The “new” Outreach Committee serves SWE Members and adult advocates. They will continue to provide valuable programs, resources, training, and support for SWE members and advocates to use in promoting engineering as an important and exciting career choice for girls and women.
Both committees have challenging goals and would appreciate your help!
Specifically, the Student Programs Committee goals include:
- Increasing membership to 6,000 SWENexters by the end of the fiscal year (we are currently at 4,189 SWENexters);
- Building and implementing a mechanism so we can accurately track the number of SWENext alumnae who become SWE members;
- Building a mechanism to allow SWENext Clubs to find and engage a SWE member Counselor;
- Identifying and testing new SWENext benefits;
- Developing the recommendations for “direct to member” and Club frameworks that better support community engagement, leadership and persistence within STEM; and
- Developing the steps, budget and timeline that would be needed to achieve SWENext as a limited SWE membership grade and SWENext Clubs as chartered SWE sections or affiliates.
The Outreach Committee goals include:
- Developing a new SWE Role Model Certification Program;
- Increasing participation in SWE’s K-12 educator newsletter subscribers by 100%;
- Developing a SWE Youth Protection Policy; and
- Establishing a workgroup in India tasked with creating a strategic outreach plan for that country.
We need your help to achieve these ambitious goals!
To get more information or volunteer for either committee, please contact the Student Programs Committee Chair, Mary Zeis, at studentprograms-chair@swe.org or the Outreach Committee Chair, Sadaf Qazi, at outreach-chair@swe.org.
Related content:
- SWEet Wisdom September 2019
- Become a DesignLab Challenge Mentor for SWENext!
- SWEet Wisdom August 2019
- Together, We Can Change the Face of STEM
- Announcing PEP Panelists for Invent It. Build It. at WE19
- SWENext Milestones for College Preparation
- Young Female Rocket Scientist Launches Nation’s First Print Magazine For Girls In STEM
