WPI Journal - The Magazine for WPI Alumni

FALL 2014

The Alumni Magazine for Worcester Polytechnic Institute. (WPI)

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16 Fall 2014 T his past August, NASA's Curios- ity rover marked two Earth years on Mars. NASA celebrated the women behind the Curi- osity mission along with 7th-graders at WPI's Camp Reach, when the girls met with Laurie Leshin and other female engineers—via web- cam—who continue to play important roles in space exploration. President Leshin led the webcam discussion, as the girls interacted with fve engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pas- adena. Rover team members Jamie Catchen, Erisa Hines, Louise Jandura, Megan Richard- son, and Amanda Steffy answered questions from the girls and engaged them on many space related topics. "Statistics show that the middle school years are critical for keeping girls interested in sci- ence, and Camp Reach does an outstanding job at fostering passion for STEM," said Leshin. "I'm so pleased that WPI helps ensure that these girls receive the mentoring that we know is critical for keeping them in the pipeline. My hope is that by meeting some of the women of Curiosity, these girls will have left Camp Reach knowing that the sky's the limit." Camp Reach, now in its 18th year, is one of several WPI K–12 programs aimed at science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education for girls. Each year, 30 girls from throughout Massachusetts participate in the two-week residential program and partake in hands-on workshops, a design project for a community organization, and a visit to an en- gineering workplace, along with recreational activities. They return for follow-up programs during the academic year. PHOTO CREDIT: TK jet girls Mission: Girls on Mars Campers engage with President Leshin and her fellow women teammates from NASA W π

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