Sixty middle school students participated in the Rossin College’s annual spring CHOICES event, held virtually on March 26, 2021.
CHOICES—which stands for Charting Horizons and Opportunities in Careers in Engineering and Science—was founded in 1993 to build girls’ interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The outreach program, a long-standing partnership with Bosch Rexroth led by Lehigh’s chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), has adapted to an online format during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students choose from a variety of virtual sessions offered throughout the day. The programming included demonstrations led by Rossin College faculty members as well as panel sessions with faculty, undergraduate students, and engineering professionals from Bosch Rexroth and Air Products. Student participants asked questions about STEM and panelists shared their expertise as they discussed the real-world challenges faced by women engineers.
The middle-schoolers also participated in hands-on experiments led by SWE undergraduate mentor volunteers with materials that had been provided in advance, based on the sessions they had chosen to attend.
“We’re so thankful to the faculty, alumni, and undergraduate volunteers who developed interactive lessons, participated in panel sessions, and ran demonstrations for this event,” says says Chayah Wilbers, events manager for the Rossin College.
