Liberian Society of Women Engineers - Sponsors Needed

SWE at UM is planning our third annual trip to Liberia this August to host a two-week leadership camp with the Liberian Society of Women Engineers (L-SWE). This year, SWE at UM will be sending 5 Graduate students and 5 Undergraduate students to plan and run the leadership camp for over 40 Liberian women in engineering. The goals of this leadership camp are two-fold (i) to empower the Liberian and US women engineers with the skills, support, and inspiration necessary to becoming successful and well-rounded engineering professionals; and (ii) to strengthen the community of female engineers in Liberia by building cross-cultural partnerships among female engineering students and professionals resulting in a global network of women engineers. 

Our organization’s ability to continue to operate is due in large part to the generous support and donations from corporations who believe in our mission and goal to make sustainable and lasting global impact with counterparts in Liberia. At this point, we need to raise the last $15,000 by July 31st and are hoping to establish corporate sponsorship on the scale of $1,000-$5,000 to help cover the costs listed below:

·  Travel expenses for UM team 

·  Room and board for 40 Liberian participants and UM team

·  Cost of camp materials 

The following listed items are the benefits your company would receive if they sponsors the 2017 L-SWE camp:

·  Stronger relationship with organizations and the local community

·  Company representatives invited to the networking dinner in Monrovia on August 29th

·  Company advertisement

Check out these articles for more information and photos from the L-SWE SUCCESS Camp: National SWE blog, EECS Department article, 2016 LSWE SUCCESS blog. 

If you have any further questions or would like to forward my contact information (Becca Cohn - cohnr@umich.edu) to your company, please feel free. 

P.S. We are always looking for professionals to participate in this camp. If you or someone at your work would like to be involved and potentially travel to Liberia for any and/or all of the duration of the camp, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Girls' Engineering Exploration 2017 - Volunteers Needed!

Calling ALL Volunteers!!

The Society of Women in Engineering (SWE) Detroit Section is sponsoring their annual Girls' Engineering Exploration (GEE) Event on Saturday, March 4, 2017 and needs your help!

 

This full-day of interactive workshops and demonstrations will be held at the Michigan Science Center and aims to expose 4th-6th grade girls to various fields of engineering and technology.

There is one of two ways you can support...

1. GEE Mentor...the girls will be divided into groups of 4-5 to facilitate their engagement as well as maximize their workshop experience.  Each GEE Mentor is responsible for monitoring the group throughout the day, in addition to encouraging participation and enthusiasm as the girls learn about engineering. Mentors must be able commit to being present for the full event from 8AM - 4PM.

2. Flex-Volunteer...whether you have a few hours to spare or an entire day to share, flex-volunteering roles support and maintain the GEE event flow throughout the day.  Flex-ers help with registration check-in, coat check, lunch distribution, and room set-up/break-down, to name a few.  Flex-ers can opt to be present for any of the three time slots: the full day (8AM - 4PM), morning (8AM - 12PM), or afternoon (12PM - 4PM).

If you are interested in volunteering in either of these capacities, please contact Samantha Kallman (smkallma@mtu.edu) and Morgan Neal (morgan.neal@smithgroupjjr.com) with your complete name, contact information, preferred time of availability and which way you prefer to volunteer.

SWE-D High School Scholarship Application Judging

Volunteers are needed to help read SWE-D scholarship applications.  Help us award our outstanding high school girls as they start their engineering education!  

Times listed are open window.  Even if you can only make it for one hour, come and read a few applications.  

If you would like to participate, but are unable to attend in person, contact Lisa and you can read some applications on your own time!

Event: SWE-D High School Scholarship Application Judging Events
Dates: March 15, 2017 and March 21, 2017
Time: 6:00 - 8:00 PM (both dates)
Location:

March 15 - Panera Bread, 823 E. Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48083

March 21 - Panera Bread, 37091 W 6 Mile Rd, Livonia, MI 48152 (new location!)

Parking: Parking lot
Point of contact: Lisa Purvis lisa.c.purvis@gmail.com

RSVP: 2 days prior

Membership Solicitation Update: Members Supporting Our Programs

Throughout SWE Detroit’s 65 years, our membership has a history of women who were pioneers in their field. Today, we continue to have women who are making history. As one of the largest grassroots sections in SWE, the Detroit Section is able to provide several programs to support its local members, as well as opportunities for future engineers to explore their potential career paths:

 

• Professional development programs, such as the Professional Development Conference coming in Spring 2017
• Networking activities, either with special-interest groups from highly active employers, or at technical and social family friendly meetings
• Provide opportunities for elementary to middle school-aged girls to interact with female engineers and participate in activities/hands-on demonstrations to increase their exposure to science and technology careers through Girls Exploring Engineering (GEE)
   
  Our members truly help keep us in and encourage the younger generation to pursue engineering by donating their time or finances to support others make history or “her-story”. We want to take a mid-year minute to recognize those who have contributed financial support to our programs thus far in FY17 for our annual programs (see SWE 4 Life Endowed Scholarship Blog Post for Recognition of Support for that special program)
   
  Achieve
              Susan Cischke
              John Kasab
  Advance
              Lisa Purvis
  Aspire  
             
  SWE D 65^th
              Linda Trumm
   
  SWE-Detroit is using the following categories to acknowledge the backing and support of our members and friends.
   
                          Achieve             $150+
                          Advance            $50 to $149
                          Aspire                $20 to $49
                         
  SWE D 65^th       $65
   
  Remember that your donation is fully deductible under US Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). To donate, go to www.swedetroit.org and click on the PayPal Donate Button or mail in a check. In the memo section, you may designate a program. Please contact Michele Marion, SWE Detroit Treasurer or Jenny Morikawa, SWE Detroit Fund Development Co-chair, via email at swe_detroit@swe.org if you have questions. 
   

SWE D- SWE 4 Life Endowed Scholarship Program Update: FY17 Goal Met Mid-fiscal Year!

Status: $4,078 out of $2500 goal for Fiscal Year 2017

Still need: ~$18,500 to meet final program goal of $25,000 for endowed scholarship.

 

Happy New Year!! We are at our halfway point in the SWE fiscal year! As I started writing this post, we were about half way to our fiscal year goal! When I was able to sit down again, we exceed our goal! I am ecstatic to report that we have tremendous support from our section’s Life Members! We are well on our way to getting our 2^nd endowed scholarship. This also means you won’t hear from me again until July when FY18 starts.

 

For those reading our blog for the first time, our Endowed Scholarship initiative targets our section’s Life Members to take the lead and build a legacy to support future female engineers through an endowed scholarship. The challenge to the Life members is to raise $2,500 each year for the next five (5) years to reach the $25,000 required for an endowed scholarship. To help encourage participation, SWE Detroit’s current officers agreed to match up to $2,500 each year to support the initiative. The endowed scholarship will provide an annual $1,000 scholarship to an aspiring and deserving women pursuing engineering. If the goal is met, the first scholarship would be awarded during the 70^th Anniversary of SWE Detroit! SWE D’s Life Members would like the first scholarship to be given in honor of Josie E. Rewald, one of SWE Detroit’s Life Members who passed away unexpectedly in September.

 

If you know any of the SWE Detroit Life Members, please help us communicate to them. We have found that they, like many of you, are super busy and can miss the posts and emails. Some don’t even have an email. So if you see them at work or outside, please tell them what you have read on the blog.

 

Not a Life Member? No problem, anyone can donate to the fund (some have already). Every little bit helps, so we encourage you to donate if you can. Your donation is tax deductible.

 

The program will be tracked separately from the Member Solicitation Program and have its own levels:

Diamond            $ 1000 +                                   

                        Sapphire            $   500 to $ 999

                        Emerald            $   250 to $ 499

                        Quartz               $   50 to $ 249                          

 

Contributions will be tracked yearly and the level will be determined based on accumulated contributions received by SWE Detroit.

 

To donate online go to www.swedetroit.org and look for the Donate Button on the site for Paypal.  After you submit your information and input your donation amount, you will have the opportunity to designate your donation. Please input in the text field, “SWE 4 Life Endowed Scholarship or Life Members Endowed Scholarship” to allow it to be allocated appropriately.

 

To donate via check: mail the check to Society of Women Engineers – Detroit, PO Box 2978, Southfield, MI 48037 and place in the memo section “SWE 4 Life Scholarship”.

 

Big Thanks to our Life Members, Members, and friends of SWE Detroit who have donated so far (updated as of 01/17/17):

 

Diamond

Dawn Tilbury

 

Sapphire Level

Laurie Ramsay

Brooke Voto

Ally (company match in honor of Brooke Voto)

 

Emerald Level

Tina Poquette

Michele Marion

Susan Cischke

Kristine Lott

Lisa Henn

 

Quartz Level

Jessica Swan

Miriam Breslauer

Katie Amelio

Lisa Purvis

 

If you have any questions, are interested in supporting the SWE Detroit SWE 4 Life Program, or creating your own endowed scholarship to build a legacy to benefit the SWE Detroit Scholarship Program, please contact Lisa Purvis, Michele Marion, or Jennifer Morikawa at swe_detroit@swe.org.

 

P.S. Come out to celebrate SWE D’s 65^th Anniversary at our annual Awards & Recognition Banquet late spring to meet our 2^nd Past Presidents Endowed Scholarship Recipient!

GEE 2017 Kick-off Meeting

GEE 2017 Kick-off Meeting

We NEED YOU!

Are you interested in a full day event that allows girls an opportunity to meet female engineers and be exposed to exciting career paths through interactive demonstrations and hands-on activities - Girls Engineering Explorations is the event for YOU.  Leaders, yes you, are needed in order to orchestrate a successful event. Come to the Kick-Off Meeting and learn more.

When: Saturday, October 22nd 10:30-11:45am

Where: Royal Oak Library, 222 E 11 Mile Rd, Royal Oak, MI 48067

 Contact the GEE 2017 Co-chairs

Earnee Gilling - earnee.jones@yahoo.com - 734-417-2089

Samantha Kallman - smkallma@mtu.edu - 906-280-2565

Elena Karras - elenas.karras@gmail.com - 215-375-5472

Extra

Coffee & Bagels will be provided

Please let us know (emails above) if you are interested in volunteering or if you have any other questions.

Also, please feel free to forward these outreach opportunities to other friends or coworkers who might be interested in getting involved with SWE Detroit.

Seeking Support from Members: Membership Solicitation

Throughout SWE Detroit’s 65 years, our membership has a history of women who were pioneers in their field. Today, we continue to have women who are making history. SWE strives to support the development of a skilled technical workforce; however, we find that women continue to be significantly underrepresented in engineering.  Therefore, the mission, core values, and objectives of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) are just as relevant today as they were over 65 years ago. As SWE adapts to the demands of a global environment, it continues to provide resources for the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women engineers. SWE also embraces diversity, realizing the value of contributions made by a diverse workforce.

As one of the largest grassroots sections in SWE, the Detroit Section is able to provide several programs to support its local members, as well as opportunities for future engineers to explore their potential career paths. 

•  Professional development programs, such as the Professional Development Conference coming in Spring 2017
•  Networking activities, either with special-interest groups from highly active employers, or at technical and social family friendly meetings
• Provide opportunities for elementary to middle school-aged girls to interact with female engineers and participate in activities/hands-on demonstrations to increase their exposure to science and technology careers through Girls Exploring Engineering (GEE)

On behalf of SWE-Detroit, we want to thank you again for your support of the mission of SWE through your membership.  We hope that you will be able to provide extra assistance to maintain our depth and breadth of programs.  SWE-Detroit is using the following categories to acknowledge the backing and support of our members and friends.

                        Achieve             $150+

                        Advance            $50 to $149

                        Aspire                $20 to $49

SWE D 65^th       $65

Our programs and services are enhanced and energized by your dedication and support of SWE-Detroit. Remember that your donation is fully deductible under US Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). To donate, go to www.swedetroit.org and click on the PayPal Donate Button or mail in a check. In the memo section, you may designate a program. Please contact us via email at swe_detroit@swe.org if you have further questions.  As SWE-Detroit’s programs and scholarships continue to grow, so does our need for your support.

                                                                       

Sincerely,

Jennifer Morikawa                                                      Michele Marion

SWE Detroit Fund Development Co-Chair                SWE-Detroit Treasurer

SWE 4 LIFE Endowed Scholarship Program

SWE-D Announces SWE 4 Life Endowed Scholarship Program

2017 is SWE Detroit’s 65^th Anniversary! And we have some EXCITING NEWS! We awarded our first SWE Detroit – Past Presidents Endowed Scholarship to a recipient 1 year early! To celebrate on the run, we are announcing a new program to build upon our scholarship program. The SWE 4 Life Endowed Scholarship is our latest campaign to support women pursuing engineering & technology degrees.

The intention is to have our section’s Life Members take the lead in contributing to this endowed scholarship program. However, anyone can donate to the program. The initiative enables our section’s Life Members to show their passion and build a legacy to support future female engineers through an endowed scholarship. The challenge to the Life members is to raise $2,500 each year for the next five (5) years to reach the $25,000 required for an endowed scholarship. To help encourage participation and raise the stakes, SWE Detroit’s current officers has agreed to match up to $2,500 each year to support the initiative. The endowed scholarship will provide an annual $1,000 scholarship to an aspiring and deserving women pursuing engineering. If the goal is met, the first scholarship would be awarded during the 70^th Anniversary of SWE Detroit! SWE D’s Life Members would like the first scholarship to be given in honor of Josie E. Rewald, one of SWE Detroit’s Life Members who passed away unexpectedly in September.

If you know any of the SWE Detroit Life Members, please help us communicate to them. We have found that they, like many of you, are super busy and can miss the posts and emails. Some don’t even have an email. So if you see them at work or outside, please tell them what you have read on the blog.

Not a Life Member? No problem, again anyone can donate to the fund even though we have asked our Life Members to come together and take the lead. Every little bit helps, so we encourage you to donate if you can. Your donation is tax deductible.

The program will be tracked separately from the Member Solicitation Program and have its own levels:

Diamond            $ 1000 +                                   

                        Sapphire            $   500 to $ 999

                        Emerald            $   250 to $ 499

                        Quartz               $   50 to $ 249                          

Contributions will be tracked yearly and the level will be determined based on accumulated contributions received by SWE Detroit.

To donate online go to www.swedetroit.org and look for the Donate Button on the site for Paypal.  After you submit your information and input your donation amount, you will have the opportunity to designate your donation. Please input in the text field, “SWE 4 Life Endowed Scholarship or Life Members Endowed Scholarship” to allow it to be allocated appropriately.

To donate via check: mail the check to Society of Women Engineers – Detroit, PO Box 2978, Southfield, MI 48037 and place in the memo section “SWE 4 Life Scholarship”.

Big Thanks to our Life Members, Members, and friends of SWE Detroit who have donated to our programs in the past! If you have any questions, are interested in supporting the SWE Detroit Past President Scholarship Program, or creating your own endowed scholarship to build a legacy to benefit the SWE Detroit Scholarship Program, please contact Lisa Purvis, Michele Marion, or Jennifer Morikawa at swe_detroit@swe.org.

P.S. Come out to celebrate SWE D’s 65^th Anniversary at our annual Awards & Recognition Banquet late spring to meet our 2^nd Past Presidents Endowed Scholarship Recipient!