On June 16, EngineerGirl NAE tweeted its congratulations to the winners of the 2022 EngineerGirl Writing Contest. Students were asked to write about how engineering can help humanity meet one of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.
The 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) to transform our world include no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry, innovation and infrastructure, reduced inequality, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, climate action, life below water, life on land, peace and justice, strong institutions, and partnerships to achieve the goal.
According to Engineer Girl, 700 students submitted essays to the contest this year, thanks to the support of educators, parents, and others who supported them.
Recently, EngineerGirl celebrated its 20th anniversary. The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) launched the program in 2001 to encourage more girls to consider engineering careers. Twenty years on, EngineerGirl is still inspiring future engineers.
For more than two decades, EngineerGirl has shared profiles of women in engineering, and career descriptions with salary, job, and education information for different engineering fields. There are also fun facts that give examples of everyday engineering marvels.
The NAE also sponsored the first EngineerGirl contest in 2001. Since then, the themes for the annual contest have included celebrating female inventors, to a writing contest that asked students in grades 3-12 to respond to a new prompt each year.
Currently, EngineerGirl has social outreach through Facebook and Twitter. There are also newsletters that share resources and the EngineerGirl Ambassadors program, which reaches beyond the digital to support high school girls that create engineering experiences for younger girls in their communities.
According to the website, the percentage of engineers in the United States who are women has increased to nearly 16%, but there is still work to be done. EngineerGirl strives to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents for girls and women.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2022 EngineerGirl Writing Contest! Students were asked to write about how #engineering can help humanity meet one of the @UN's Sustainable Development Goals (@GlobalGoalsUN). Read the winning essays: https://t.co/kpZJa7zepV #STEMeducation pic.twitter.com/DkTBU2o4pv
— EngineerGirl (@EngineerGirlNAE) June 16, 2022
