Welcome to the Region H (Midwest) Blog! Use this blog to share your thoughts on how to improve SWE. Comment on an article to start a conversation, or send your insights to the RCCE, and she’ll post them here. Anyone can share articles, photos, events, or ideas!
♥ Haley Vingsness
Region H Collegiate Communications Editor
Would you like to be published in SWE Magazine? Email an article to the Editorial Board at swemag@swe.org! Anyone can submit articles.
This issue’s features are womens’ history month and diversity.
Submissions are due on January 1st.
If you’re looking for a new outreach event, look no further than the DMLC GameChangers Competition. The Digital Media and Learning Competition (DMLC) is hosting an Obama-sponsored competition to get middle- and high-school students to design new levels for the PS3 game “LittleBigPlanet.”
Sony is donating PS3s and copies of LittleBigPlanet to organizations (you?) in low-income areas (a partnering high school?) for this competition. The winners’ levels will be released for free to the public, which is great publicity for your section.
Information on the competition was just released today, so you’re on top of the game! Check out the DMLC site for more information.
President Obama has launched a new “Educate to Innovate” program to address the nations’ problems with STEM education. On a national math test this year (The NAEP–National Assessment of Educational Progress), American students stopped improving their scores for the first time.
One of his three main goals for the program is to increase the number of women in STEM careers!
His new initiatives to improve STEM education include:
- Using TV shows on Time-Warner and the Discovery Channel, and Sesame Street, to teach kids about STEM
- National Lab Day, for a nationwide science day
- National STEM design competitions
- Using science celebrities Sally Ride (first woman in space) and Ursula Burns (first African-American President of a S&P100 company–Xerox) to encourage donations to STEM education
To read more about Educate to Innovate, view its national website here.
SWE is entering a strategic alliance with FIRST Robotics. Its goal is to increase the number of high school-age girls participating in FIRST, and therefore the number of girls who pursue technology-related careers. The plan is to encourage SWE members to participate in FIRST competitions as mentors and role models, resulting in more female FIRST members and (hopefully) more potential future SWE members!
To read the press release, click here.
The registration deadline for the Region H Conference has been extended to December 15th. You have another two weeks to get those applications in!
There’s also new workshops you can register for. Cool ones I saw are:
- Leadership Is A Choice, Not A Position
- Navigating the Corporate World
- Professional Licenses
- Caterpillar’s New Hybrid Tractor
- Building Membership
- SWE’s Public Policy
Just a reminder: if your section is bidding for the Region H Conference in 2011, your bid packages are due to Lt. Governor April Privett tomorrow. Email her your bid package to be considered.
Today is your LAST DAY to register for the Region H Conference! Click here to register.
- Theme: Persevering Through the Years
- Location: Champaign, IL
- Date: January 29-31, 2010
- Cost: Just $45!
Some highlights of the weekend will include:
- Performances by UofIllinois a capella & improv groups
- Broomball (hockey played with brooms)
- Vintage dresses & jazz
- Wine-tasting
- LEED buildings
- Art museums
- and socializing with SWE members!
Register now, before it’s too late!
Just a reminder–
Your section can host a “Wow! That’s Engineering!” event, free! SWE will sponsor your event and help you plan it! All you need to do is apply for a Program Grant by December 1st! You have a week–hop to it!
Wow! That’s Engineering! is a half-day workshop for middle- and high-school girls. They learn about engineering through hands-on activities and interaction with SWE members (you!). This grant is great for collegiate sections who don’t have the funding or manpower to plan a big event on their own.
To see what exactly “Wow! That’s Engineering!” is, check out its Event In A Box page, or see some photos from the Boston event in May.
If you have questions, contact Randy Freedman at randy.freedman@swe.org.
At our November conference call, the RCRs and RCCEs talked a little about common problems SWE sections have been having.
Some sections are having difficulties with leadership burnout.
Is your section having problems with the same issue? Here’s some solutions:
- Reduce the number of events they have to plan (delegate, or straight-out eliminate)
- Involve the entire section in planning or running events
- Ask the Collegiate Leadership Coaches for help with recruitment and planning
- Get the advisor or counselor to tell them they’re doing too much (sometimes you need to hear it from another person)
- Reduce micromanagement
- Volunteer to help out!
Any more great suggestions? Comment on this post!
To get help with your own section’s problems, comment on this post with an issue and we’ll help you work it out!
This year's Region H Conference is January 29-31 at the University of Illinois.
This is your LAST WEEK to register for the Region H Conference!
The registration deadline is December 1st!
Click here to register!
- Theme: Persevering Through the Years
- Location: Champaign, IL
- Date: January 29-31, 2010
- Cost: Just $45!
Registration is only $45 for collegiate members. This includes your hotel and food. The only thing your section will need to pay for is transportation–but wait! You can apply for a Travel Grant to cover your transportation costs! Email your RCRs about applying.
SWE Conferences are a great way to reward your active members and convince younger members to stay involved. It’s fun, it’s inspiring, it has a great career fair, and it’s great for professional development! Encourage other people to go!
