Saturday, April 6th, dawned bright and sunny !! The volunteers from the Dallas – FortWorth SWE professional section who were participating in the Sally Ride Festival gathered at the UTD Campus at around 9 am, the day of, excited and eager to teach almost 800 5th – 8th grade girls the wonders of science. The intent was encourage them, to not just take an active interest in STEM related education but plant the seed to someday consider careers in STEM.
The SWE professional section had an exhibit in the “Street Fair” area, an area that had a festive look to it with balloons, food, music, displays, fun give aways and tons of hands on science related activities. The SWE volunteers taught young girls about electrical circuits and encouraged them to ask questions and trouble shoot. The festival featured a keynote speech by astronaut Wendy Lawrence, and was immensely exciting and inspiring to hear, not just for all the young women attending the festival but to adults alike. Wendy spoke about her interest in engineering and space and encouraged all the attendees to never stop trying till they reach their goals.
To end with a quote from Wendy (and President John F. Kennedy) – “We choose to do these things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. And certainly, space exploration is not easy .”
-Neha Dobhal