The Southern Automotive Women’s Forum (SAWF)’s outreach program, “All Girls Auto Know,” was held last Tuesday, Nov. 15, at Battle Creek Middle School in Spring Hill.
The Southern Automotive Women’s Forum is a 501©(3) nonprofit dedicated to the personal and professional advancement of women in the automotive industry. The program, which began in 2010, works with local businesses and schools to host one-day events with middle school girls to explore the career options in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and automotive.
The event, made possible by a grant from GM, featured a panel of women speakers from the plant. There was also an opportunity for the students in attendance, who were in grades 5-8, to configure battery cars and race them.
“The focus is to give another insight into career possibilities for the girls,” said Justin Harrod, a STEM teacher at Battle Creek Middle. “They don’t have to do the typical careers most people assume with females.”
Amy Echsner, paint business manager at GM, said the program is an opportunity for girls to learn more about the STEM industry.
“When I was their age, I wasn’t introduced to this,” Echsner said. “No one told me STEM could even be a possibility. There’s a whole new side of the industry that you don’t know about.”
Amber Hopper, President of the Southern Automotive Women’s Forum and industrial engineer manager at GM, was one of the speakers at the forum.
“Only one in eight girls are engineers, and less than 25% of our workforce in automotive is women,” Hopper said. “We want to make sure they’re exposed to what is out there and what opportunities exist.”
Last Tuesday marked the 22nd All Girls Auto Know event across the Southeast.
To learn more about the Southern Automotive Women’s Forum, visit www.southernautomotivewomen.org.
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