ARGONNE, Ill. — Girls in sixth through eighth grade are invited to learn about career opportunities in science and engineering during the annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory.

“This event is a great opportunity to inspire our next generation of future scientists and engineers,” said Tami Martin, chairperson of the event and an Argonne computer engineer. ​“It is important to provide some strong role models and help encourage our young girls to pursue their interests.”

The event is designed to be a fun and educational way to introduce girls to engineering careers through hands-on activities and direct interaction with Argonne’s engineers and scientists.

The girls will spend the day with a mentor, tour the laboratory, participate in hands-on activities and attend interactive presentations about engineering careers. They will also have the opportunity to have lunch with Argonne’s leading experts and ask questions about their work, education and how they decided to enter their chosen fields.

The event is open to 6^th-, 7^th- and 8^th-grade girls interested in math, science and engineering fields from throughout the Chicago area. The application deadline is Jan.16, 2009. Application forms are available at www​.dep​.anl​.gov/​p​_​k​-​1​2​/​i​g​e​d​/​A​p​p​l​i​c​a​t​i​o​n​-​F​o​r​m​-​2​0​0​9.pdf. Student selection is conducted by lottery, and all interested middle-school girls are encouraged to apply.

Sponsorship for the event is provided by the Argonne Education Outreach Council in conjunction with Argonne’s Division of Educational Programs and Women in Science and Technology program. For more information, visit Argonne’s Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day website at www​.dep​.anl​.gov/​p​_​k​-​1​2​/​iged/.