February 20, 2020
Battle Creek plant generates interest in engineering careers among local students
Women make up more than half of the U.S. population, but only about 20% of Bachelor’s Degrees in Engineering are presented to women annually. As part of our responsibility commitment to empower people, we’re working with the Society of Women Engineers to change that by providing engineering opportunities for girls ages 9-12. Around this age, many middle school students start to lose interest in science.
The Society of Women Engineers hosts the Engineering Challenge every year at Air Zoo, an aerospace and science attraction in Portage, Mich. There were 16 corporate sponsors, including Post Consumer Brands and Kellogg’s. This was our fifth year sponsoring the event.
Serving as mentors for middle school students
The Engineering Challenge is an all-day event open to the community. The first part features engineering, science and math demonstrations and activities organized by local companies and a panel discussion. After lunch, attendees split into teams of eight and received a technical challenge. Nyssa and Leyla, Operational Leadership Development Associates at Post Consumer Brands, served as mentors to the girls during the challenges. Several other Post employees also volunteered.
On Saturday, February 15, 2020, more than 1,600 people attended the Engineering Challenge at Air Zoo. This is the busiest day for Air Zoo, which sees 1,000 attendees a day on average. The event is free to participants thanks to corporate donations. Post Consumer Brands Women’s Development Network’s contributed $500.
Building the next generation of engineers and scientists
Jennifer Hoffman, a financial analyst at our Battle Creek, Mich. plant organized the sponsorship. “As a local manufacturing company, we think it’s really important to show girls what their future could look like in engineering. We’re helping to educate the next generation of engineers and scientists. Some may even come work for Post Consumer Brands,” said Jennifer, “It’s inspiring to see so many people show up to support girls in engineering.”
Post Consumer Brands’ representing manufacturing engineering careers at the Engineering Challenge.
