Worldwide Forum Connecting Women Engineers and Girls Expands from 24 Hours to Six Days

Innovations in engineering and technology address many of the world’s most complex challenges—clean water, new medicines, and safe roads. Everything we know has been touched by engineering. Thought leaders agree that jobs in these fields are the jobs of the future. Yet, in almost every corner of the world, there is too little talent in the science, technology, engineering, and math pipeline. One solution: Tap the potential that women offer. 

Part inspiration and part information, the Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering and Technology is an annual worldwide forum connecting professional women, college students and girls for virtual and in-person conversations about education and careers in engineering and technology.

The 2011 event, scheduled for March 7-12, has been expanded from 24 hours to six days to accommodate an increase in programming. It is the only event of its kind connecting women in engineering and technology worldwide across a diverse range of disciplines, experience levels, ages, interests, backgrounds, cultures, industries and employers.

Nan Mattai, senior vice president, Rockwell Collins Engineering & Technology is chairing. Cindy Kou, program director, Lotus Collaborative Productivity Tools, IBM China will serve as vice-chair.

Individuals from corporations, universities, non-profit and community organizations, and others will participate in real-time, live group events, webcasts, Internet chats and teleconferences in any of 6 regions on these dates:

  

o        Monday, March 7 – Kick-off and North America

o        Tuesday, March 8 – China

o        Wednesday, March 9 – India

o        Thursday, March 10 – Africa/Middle East

o        Friday, March 11 – Brazil/Mexico

o        Saturday, March 12 – UK/Europe, ‘Student Outreach Day’ and event close in North America

New for 2011 is a geocaching event that will start on March 7 and span the globe. Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played by adventure seekers around the world equipped with GPS devices. Clues to discover the caches will be given on the Global Marathon website, www.globalmarathon.net, the Global Marathon Facebook page and elsewhere. The Global Marathon geocaching event showcases how engineering and technology contribute to this fun activity and connect people worldwide. 

  

For more information or to be part of the Global Marathon please visit www.globalmarathon.net.

Sponsors for the 2011 Global Marathon include: Rockwell Collins, Agilent, Motorola Foundation and ExxonMobil.

About Engineers Week

The National Engineers Week Foundation, a formal coalition of more than 100 professional societies, major corporations and government agencies, 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.  Engineers Week also raises public understanding and appreciation of engineers' contributions to society.  Founded in 1951, it is among the oldest of America's professional outreach efforts.  Co-chairs for 2011 are Raytheon and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

 For more information, visit www.eweek.org.