Photo Opportunities: Female faculty members and students from the College of Engineering and the math department in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences visit local middle schools to talk to girls about engineering careers.

When:    Friday, Feb. 24, 1 to 3 p.m., Holt Middle School, Fayetteville

                Tuesday, Feb. 28, 12:40 to 2:40 p.m., Helen Tyson Middle School, Springdale

                Wednesday, March 1, 8 to 10 a.m., J.O. Kelly Middle School, Springdale

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A one-sided piece of paper. A tower with marshmallows as building blocks and toothpicks as the framework. Math and science applied in a creative and fun way — that’s what University of Arkansas engineering students will show girls at local middle schools.

Female faculty members and undergraduate students from the College of Engineering and the math department in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences will talk to middle school girls about careers in engineering as part of National Engineers Week, which started Feb. 19. The Educational Renewal Zone, a service unit of the College of Education and Health Professions, coordinated the program for the schools in Fayetteville and Springdale. The Office of Pre-College Programs on campus assisted with the events.

The ERZ program was created by the Arkansas General Assembly to foster collaboration among institutions of higher education, education service cooperatives and public schools to improve school performance and academic achievement. Director Charlotte Earwood began working at the start of this school year with 18 middle and junior high schools in Washington, Benton and Madison counties offering resources, professional development and other assistance to teachers as well as special programs for students.

The idea behind “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” is to show girls the connection between the science and math curriculum and the field of engineering through hands-on activities. Research shows that girls lose interest in subjects and the fields of study leading to engineering careers long before they enter college. An estimated 1 million girls are involved annually in “Introduce a Girl to Engineering,” which is in its sixth year.

Carol Gattis, director of recruitment for the UA College of Engineering, said: “'Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day’ has women engineers worldwide engaging K-12 girls in fun and creative activities that open their eyes to engineering — a career they might otherwise never consider. Girls make excellent engineers, but only 10 percent of high school girls even consider it as a career option. With 'Girl Day,’ we show girls that women do become engineers, and that engineering is a wonderful, exciting and rewarding career option for them. After all, many girls love and excel in math and science, and engineering is just math and science applied in a creative and practical way.”