Sustainability was the buzzword at the third annual Amelia Earhart Girls Engineering Day last month at the Waiakea High School library. ADVERTISING Sustainability was the buzzword at the third annual Amelia Earhart Girls Engineering Day last month at the Waiakea
Sustainability was the buzzword at the third annual Amelia Earhart Girls Engineering Day last month at the Waiakea High School library.
Thirty girls ages 9-13, each accompanied by a parent, constructed solar- and wind-powered devices including solar cars, solar-charged lanterns and miniature windmills.
They also attempted to explain the inner workings of an “inexhaustible water bottle” in an “Imagineering” activity, and afterward received their own.
Guest speaker was Kathy Cooksey, an assistant professor of astronomy and physics at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.
Cooksey shared her experiences of being a woman in a scientific field and spoke about the importance of education and self-confidence when pursuing career goals.
Dale Olive, Waiakea High School physics teacher and the host/coordinator of the event, also stressed the importance of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields. Olive mentioned the significance of events such as Girls Engineering Day in sparking an interest in science and technology, noting how many of his students in Waiakea’s robotics program once were participants in such events.
The Zonta Club of Hilo, an organization focused on “empowering women through service and advocacy,” provided all funding for the event as well as volunteers to work check-in.
