about the program (spring 2007) The Ready Set Design! program provides introductory engineering experiences for middle school girls in the Baltimore area, through half-day weekend programs on the Johns Hopkins University campus. The program is organized by the Johns Hopkins student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Financial support for this program is provided by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Johns Hopkins University Alumni Association, and the National Science Foundation. Our activities this spring will take place in half-day sessions on two days, with a different theme on each day: Saturday, March 24, theme: Engineering help for injuries and disabilities Saturday, April 7, theme: Engineering and climate change Sessions will run from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, and 2 to 5 pm, on both days. In each session the girls will first learn about the engineering design process and about the theme of that session's activities. Then, the students will split into groups to work on the group design projects. Each group will design a device to perform a specific task related to the theme of the session. Creativity is encouraged - every idea is worth exploring! Girls will also have the opportunity to interact with Johns Hopkins engineering students, as well as to meet local women who have found success and fulfillment in exciting engineering careers. Additional information about the program, and a sign-up sheet, can be found here. Photos from our prior events will be posted soon! You can also look at the article about us that appeared in the Baltimore Sun in December 2005(the article is copyrighted by the Sun). schedule of events Our sessions for Spring 2007 are scheduled for Saturday, March 24 and Saturday, April 7. The morning sessions will run from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, and the afternoon sessions from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm. Parents: You do not need to stay for the full sessions, but you are welcome to join us for last half-hour, when the girls will give short presentations describing their design projects. See below for parking instructions. directions and parking Our events this sprint will be held in the Glass Pavilion on the main floor of Levering Hall on the JHU campus. On this map of the JHU campus in Homewood, Levering Hall is number 4, just above and to the left of center. Drop-offs and pick-ups are possible behind Levering Hall, which can be accessed using the West Gate on San Martin Drive. Due to ongoing construction, parking is spread out around campus - It is usually possible on weekends to find spaces in areas 63 or 65 near Levering Hall, which can be accessed through the West Gate, or in area 61 near Clark Hall (number 1 on the map), which can be accessed directly from Wyman Park Drive. If there are no available spaces in the above areas, you will definitely find space in lot 60, on Wyman Park Drive to the upper left on the map. The walk from lot 60 to Levering Hall will take up to ten minutes. (For more specific driving directions to the JHU Homewood campus: click here.) contact us To register, please contact Lindsey Smith lindsey.smith (at)jhu.edu. For general questions about the program, contact Sarah Webster at swebster (at)jhu.edu. If you're a JHU student who'd like to volunteer, contact Lia Klofas at jklofas1(at)jhu.edu. links The following are some neat engineering resources for girls - Explore large structures (like bridges, skyscrapers, and dams) and what it takes to build them through this interactive site from PBS Use your imagination to design a bridge using software from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point - and enter a contest with participants from around the country! The Discover Engineering site has everything you ever wanted to know about engineering, from the different things that engineers do, to interactive games, puzzles and simulations, to cool engineering sites to visit in your own hometown. The American Society for Engineering Education has some great resources for students and teachers. - and these are some upcoming engineering events around Baltimore - Spring 2007: The Baltimore Museum of Industry sponsors Engineering Challenges for students of all ages. February 18-24, 2007: National Engineers Week means lots of events to get involved in. March 31: Middle school students compete in the Johns Hopkins University Robotic Systems Challenge, sponsored by the Engineering Research Center on campus - they also have a Robotics Summer Camp! May: The Center for Women and Information Technology (CWIT) hosts an annual Computer Mania Day. They also have a great resource web page. page updated 5 April 2007