A group of Dallas Independent School District third-graders celebrated Women's History Month with a chance to change their perceptions of what they have seen in history when it comes to the field of engineering.
Global infrastructure firm AECOM is taking steps to ensure young ladies understand they can be the next generation of leaders in engineering. The company, which recently moved its global headquarters to Dallas last year said they increased the number of women in leadership roles within their company by nearly 100% since 2015.
Students at Kramer Elementary got to see women in the industry first-hand.
"I didn't know engineers did so much! It was neat to learn about all the types of engineers, but I really liked building the tower," said Sophie, Kramer Elementary. "We worked as a team and got to use marshmallows."
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AECOM said female engineers are needed now more than ever, especially with the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. It will create engineering job opportunities to improve infrastructure across the U.S. The overall workforce in the United States is 47% female but only 13% of all engineers are women. A Society of Women Engineers report states that 20 years later, only 30% of women who earned a bachelor's degree in engineering are still working within the industry. The leadership at AECOM hopes that with events like these, they can draw more women to the field.
