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The Huey P. Long Bridge Widening Project Hosts "TIMED 2 Explore Engineering" event for local Girl Scouts
On the levee just underneath the approaches of the Huey P. Long Bridge, 35 Southeast Louisiana Council Girl Scouts made a “human bridge” and felt the forces of tension and compression in action. They tried on safety gear and interacted with two female engineers – one of which who works on the Huey P. Long Bridge Widening Project.
The Saturday afternoon event was part of a larger effort, the Louisiana TIMED Program’s TIMED 2 Explore Engineering, encouraging Louisiana youth to pursue engineering careers and discover the engineering and construction projects in their communities.
A 2005 study by the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), and WGBH Educational Foundation found that most teens and pre-teens perceived engineering as man’s profession and there is little to no encouragement for girls to consider engineering. The same study found that, “Career influencers, including educators, are not familiar with how to guide students toward engineering. The positive stories about engineering are not being told to this audience.”
When young girls discover the fun side of science and engineering, they’re more likely to consider it as a career choice. Despite the strides female engineers have made in the past few decades, women are still underrepresented in science, math and engineering careers.
It is with those findings in mind that the Huey P. Long public outreach office hosted the hands-on event. As the girls stood underneath the shadow of the bridge, they were overwhelmed by the enormous size and scope of the bridge. They learned how the widening project would affect the bridge and they used critical thinking skills to put themselves in the shoes of engineers. The girls learned that engineers do more than just math problems or sit in a lab – many often work in the field on the projects they support. The girls were able to see, touch and try on safety equipment that engineers use when climbing on the Huey P. Long Bridge.
Although it wasn’t your typical Memorial Weekend activity, the girls didn’t seem to mind learning a bit of science, engineering and career skills during their holiday weekend.
