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Teaching Young Women About Engineering

The Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering has embarked on a number of initiatives to attract female students. Mentorship is key, so U of T and Engineering are hiring more women as professors. “In the last two years, over 50% of our new hires have been female,” said Susan McCahan, Chair, First Year and faculty member, MIE.

The Skule™Sisters program sees high school girls corresponding with female Engineering students, who help them plan for a career in the field. Girls Club is targeted to under-represented girls in grades 3 to 8. U of T also participates in the province’s yearly Go ENG Girl Fair, which gives 12- to 15-year-old girls the opportunity to create machines, such as robotic arms and wind turbines.


Girls Club is a specially designed Faculty program for under-represented female students in grades 3 to 8. The goal of Girls Club is to nurture the interests of female students in the areas of science, technology and Engineering—subject areas that are traditionally male-dominated. The hope is that Girls Club will inspire more female students to pursue their interests in these areas.

Girls Club provides students with the opportunity to see science and Engineering in a new light—focusing on the world around them and its application to everyday life. Each week of Girls Club is themed to allow students a wide range of learning experiences. Girls Club members experience age-appropriate and grade-specific activities. Over the course of the program, members develop confidence, make new friends with similar interests, and gain a network of positive female role models in a variety of science, Engineering and technology fields.

Girls Club Mentorship Event

One of this year's Girl's Club mentors, April Kadhemi, is a 2008 L’Oréal Canada – UNESCO Mentor Fellowship Award. She is currently working on her PhD, and works to apply Electrical Engineering principles in the field of medicine, creating programs which automatically analyze brain images in medicine.

For information about L’Oreal’s For Women in Science, visit http://www.en.loreal.ca/_en/_ca/

For more information on the scholarship, visit http://www.unesco.ca/en/commission/newsroom/documents/pressrelease3engLOGOs.pdfb


The Skule™ Sisters program is a mentorship program that matches female high school students in Grade 10 with female mentors in Year 2 of Engineering at U of T.

“Mentorship programs like Skule™Sisters provide the opportunity to inspire young women to explore careers in the Engineering profession,” said Cristina Amon, Dean. “With programs like this, we can illustrate that Engineering is about combining fundamental principles with creativity to develop innovative technologies that improve human lives and enhance economic prosperity.”

Throughout the three-year partnership, Skule™Sisters pairs correspond regularly to discuss everything from life as a university student and transition to university, to the vital role of women in Engineering and gender stereotypes. The Faculty hosts a few on-campus events throughout the year to give Skule™Sisters pairs a chance to meet face-to-face and participate in fun activities.


Women in Science and Engineering - University of Toronto (WISE U of T) is a co-ed student organization open to all students, staff and alumni within the U of T community. Established in 1999, WISE was created as a forum for peers to share their experiences. With support from the university and student body, this chapter of a national association has developed into a recognized campus organization with four main goals:

* To encourage young women to seek higher education and achievement in science, engineering, and related fields
* To create a support network for female students in these fields of study
* To inform students about opportunities and contributions by women in these fields
* To help women feel comfortable in school and to prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead in the workforce

On campus, WISE provides a community and network for members to share experiences and information. Additionally they hold several conferences to help members learn more about the choices they have for the future: the Life-After-Graduation series is focused on giving Engineering students a glimpse into the choices they have after graduation, from careers to graduate schools.


Go ENG Girl is an exciting annual opportunity for Grade 7-10 girls across Ontario to meet with representatives from their local universities and learn about the wonderful world of Engineering: "A Caring Profession." Plenty of hands-on activities, informative parents' sessions and Engineering student exhibits are available as you learn from women professionals, academics and students.

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