EMRA'A hosts 4th 'Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day' event at DESS

Tribune News Network
DOHA
EMRA'A, ExxonMobil Qatar's Professional Women's Network, held its fourth 'Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day' event at Doha English Speaking School (DESS) earlier this week.
The event is an extension of a programme that ExxonMobil organises in the United States and other global locations; and is part of the company's efforts to encourage young girls to consider careers in fields that require a background in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects.
The day's activities were planned with the help and support of 15 professional women volunteers from ExxonMobil Qatar. More than 25 girls from Year 6 spent the morning with the professional women, working on activities as a team, one of which involved building load-bearing bridges out of raw spaghetti and marshmallows. The activity challenges the girls, requiring them to be constructive, creative and think strategically and how to build a structure from simple materials.
Students then listened to the volunteers speak about their professional experiences and how rewarding careers in engineering and the other STEM fields can be.
"The world is facing a shortage of engineers and scientists - the people we need to preserve and improve our planet and our livelihoods. And there are even fewer women engineers and scientists in the global workforce today. This is why ExxonMobil supports programmes like 'Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day' that inspire and encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in STEM," said Mariah Forte-Connor, for ExxonMobil Qatar.
Sean Sibley, DESS' headteacher commented,"It is important for our children to aspire to be anything they want to be. At DESS we promote and encourage our children to aim high in order to achieve their goals and 'Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day' is a fantastic opportunity for our girls to find out more about this potential area of employment."
EMRA'A hosts events that respond to the needs of professional women in the energy industry, and inspire STEM education among girls and young women.