Service Learning
Silver Experience
Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) Outreach Programs
For my service learning experience, I have continued volunteering with the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) within their outreach programs, starting in the Fall of 2018. The BEST of CWIT Program was the main event I helped plan and coordinate, while also contributing to several other events. BEST of CWIT is an event for high schoolers interested in Engineering and Technology, and it provides a glimpse of what engineering and technology looks like in college. It also discusses some of the current issues in these fields surrounding underrepresentation of minorities. COVID-19 required the revamping of the program to an online setting to allow for the program to continue successfully informing students. Between event planning and revamping for this virtual environment, I have spent upwards of 200 hours working with CWIT. This service learning experience granted me the opportunity to see a direct impact because many of the students I saw come to the program and experience what engineering and technology are like have gone on to attended UMBC in these fields. I was also given the opportunity to teach some of them as a teaching fellow for the Introduction to Engineering class on campus. This program is helping to introduce more minorities into the STEM fields, which is I believe important not just for my grand challenge, but for all the grand challenges. We need to have people with different perspectives and backgrounds working together in order to solve these challenges. This outreach service with CWIT helps introduce new engineers to the concept of engineering the tools of scientific discovery, as well as helping acclimate them with engineering as a field.
Reflection
While volunteering with CWIT, I had the opportunity to introduce new engineers to the idea of my grand challenge of Engineering the Tools of Scientific Discovery. The experiences I had were incredibly rewarding, and they have allowed me to grow and develop new skills. Working with CWIT for outreach requires being an active member of a team. Scheduling meetings, completing assigned tasks, and helping other team members with any tasks they may be unable to complete requires flexibility. On event days, when events were experiencing slight mishaps, flexibility was required to adapt quickly to changes. For example, if someone was having technical difficulties, someone else will have to step in. I also had the opportunity to participate as both a member of campus community, as well as neighborhood community. I got to work with other members of UMBC’s campus to create events that were unique and important for the inclusion of minorities in engineering and technology fields. My service allowed me to seek positive change, and I believe that it actually is making positive change. The programs CWIT runs have helped to introduce more women and underrepresented minorities into the technology and engineering fields at UMBC, which I have been able to see during my time volunteering. As a woman in engineering, this mission particularly resonates with me because we need unique perspectives when approaching an engineering problem, and introducing new engineers whose perspectives may not be as heard in this field will benefit everyone. People from different backgrounds with different perspectives should be working together on a problem to allow the best chance to create something that will be useful and beneficial to everyone. For example, when seatbelts were first invented, they were not suitable for women and children, and the first seatbelt designed for a pregnant woman was not sold until 2013. Bringing in women to the engineering field to recognize issues like the seatbelt problem can help mitigate these situations. Through planning these programs, I have become more aware of the issues faced not only by women and underrepresented minorities in the engineering fields, but across various STEM fields. I believe that I have increased my organization, planning, and public speaking skills, which will hopefully allow me to continue working in outreach as I continue on in my career. Seeing the impact that I made on even just a few people’s lives is a truly rewarding experience, and I am so happy I got to participate in these programs.