ExxonMobil Employees Encourage Girls to Pursue Engineering
More than 2,000 students inspired to ‘Be An Engineer’ through “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” events at facilities nationwide
- Program inspires students to ‘Be An Engineer’ by sparking curiosity in science, technology, engineering and math
- ExxonMobil employees serve as role models, lead hands-on activities as part of Engineers Week
- Initiative is part of Girl Day, founded by DiscoverE, designed to show the collaborative and life-changing work of engineers
IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- ExxonMobil is encouraging girls to consider science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers through the 12th-annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day program to be held at 14 ExxonMobil and XTO Energy sites nationwide over the next several months.
Building on the success of ExxonMobil’s recent ‘Be An Engineer’ efforts, more than 2,000 middle-school girls across the country will take part. Participants will have the opportunity to work with ExxonMobil employees who will serve as mentors, providing students with role models and helping to sharpen their STEM skills. The programs will include a wide range of hands-on activities, such as demonstrating the energy industry’s use of 3D technology to search for oil and natural gas; water purification experiments; and exploring the science of manufacturing cosmetics.
In addition to Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, ExxonMobil is spearheading a social media effort to promote ‘Be An Engineer’ as part of its Engineers Week activities. Various universities and associations will join the social conversation (#BeAnEngineer) to shine a light on the contributions of engineers to making the world a better place.
“Providing access to female professionals in STEM careers inspires girls to consider pursuing the field,” said Suzanne McCarron, general manager of public and government affairs, ExxonMobil. “Through our ‘Be An Engineer’ and Engineers Week efforts, ExxonMobil hopes to engage students early in their education and expose them to the exciting and rewarding aspects of a career that drives innovation.”
Launched in 2014, ‘Be An Engineer’ highlights real-life engineers behind some of the world’s greatest technical achievements and provides resources to encourage students to choose engineering careers. The BeAnEngineer.com web site includes detailed first-person accounts of engineers who are researching, exploring and taking on many of the world’s toughest challenges. Since its launch, the effort has generated more than 19 million online engagements; the campaign won the 2014 Ragan PR Daily CSR award for cause marketing. Additionally, a series of blog posts featuring ExxonMobil engineers speaking about the profession will be featured on Huffington Post.
Attracting more young people, and particularly girls, to math and science studies, and ultimately STEM careers, is critical to ensuring the growing technological needs of the United States can be met. According to the 2013 Economic and Statistics Administration Report, women comprise half of the U.S. workforce, but hold less than 25 percent of STEM jobs and only 14 percent of engineering positions.
Since ExxonMobil began its “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” program more than a decade ago, more than 11,000 students have participated in activities conducted at company facilities or classroom demonstrations.
About ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation, the largest publicly traded international oil and gas company, uses technology and innovation to help meet the world’s growing energy needs. ExxonMobil holds an industry-leading inventory of resources, is the largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products and its chemical company is one of the largest in the world. ExxonMobil engages in a range of philanthropic activities that advance education, with a focus on math and science in the U.S., promote women as catalysts for development, and combat malaria. In 2014, together with its employees and retirees, ExxonMobil, its divisions and affiliates, and the ExxonMobil Foundation provided $279 million in contributions worldwide. Additional information on ExxonMobil’s community partnerships and contribution programs is available at www.exxonmobil.com/community.
About DiscoverE
DiscoverE, formerly National Engineers Week Foundation, was founded in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers and is dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of and interest in engineering and technology careers among young students and by promoting pre-college literacy in math and science. DiscoverE also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers' contributions to society and is among the oldest of America's professional outreach efforts. For more information please visit www.discovere.org
ExxonMobil
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Source: Exxon Mobil Corporation
Released February 24, 2015