“Students participated in various hands-on sessions led by women who work in the engineering field,” Olivia Zawacki, a math teacher at Warren Area High School, explained.

Held on Nov. 3, the program is open to 10th and 11th grade students, according to Penn State Behrend.

“Our primary goal,” they say, “is to introduce students to what an engineer does, what kinds of engineering careers are available, and explain how engineers help the world in general.”

The event, which started in 2006, features many hands-on and interactive activities and workshops.

Engineering students at Penn State serve as mentors for the day while the workshops are run by students and faculty or practicing engineers from the Erie area.

“The students also listened to Keynote speaker Julia Cecchetti, a propulsion development engineer from SpaceX,” Zawacki added.