SME Invites 6^th and 10^th Grade Students in Four States to Register for Week-Long Science and Technology STEPS Summer Camps

The five schools are: Bradley University, Peoria, Ill.; Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Mich.; University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Mich.; University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn.; and the University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wis. Through the STEPS (Science, Technology, and Engineering Preview Summer) camp, young women and men will have the opportunity to experience the exciting world of engineering hands-on by designing and building robots, airplanes and rockets.

STEPS camps were created at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 1997, with funding from SME with the goal of getting more young people, particularly women, interested in manufacturing and engineering early in their academic pursuits. The lack of women in engineering recently cited in a recent Detroit News' article, "Women engineers steer clear of Big 3," stated "Engineering is still a male-dominated field and that "although the number of female engineering students has been gradually increasing, most steer clear of engineering jobs."

At Grand Valley State University STEPS camps in Allendale, Mich., (June 20-24 and June 27 - July 1) campers will learn to build and fly a remote controlled airplane. These camps are already full. Registrations are still being accepted for STEPS camps at:

• Bradley University, Peoria, Ill., a STEPS camp for students currently enrolled in the 8th or 9th grades. At the camp scheduled for the week of June 20-26, campers will learn to design, build and launch a rocket. Registration deadline: May 1, 2004.
• University of Detroit Mercy, Detroit, Mich., STEPS camp for girls completing the 9th or 10th grades in spring 2004. At two camp sessions scheduled for the weeks of June 10-June 25 and June 27-July 2, campers will design, build and operate an intelligent robotic vehicle. Registration deadline: April 23, 2004.
• Minnesota - University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn., STEPS camp for girls completing 6th grade in spring 2004, and entering the 7th grade in fall 2004. At four free camp sessions scheduled for the weeks of June 20 - June 24; June 27 - July 1; July 11-15; and July 18 - July 22, campers will learn to build and fly a remote controlled airplane. Registration deadline: April 5, 2004.
• Wisconsin - University of Wisconsin-Stout, Menomonie, Wis., STEPS camp for girls entering the 6th grade in spring 2004 and entering the 7th grade in fall 2004. At four camp sessions scheduled for the week of July 11 - 16; July 18 - 23; July 25 - 30, and August 1-6, campers will learn to build and fly a controlled airplane. Registration deadline: April 15, 2004.

Additional Information:

Adults who would like to sponsor or volunteer at an SME STEPS camp should call the SME Education Foundation at (313) 425-3300, or visit www.sme.org/foundation.

About STEPS:

STEPS is the signature youth program of the SME Education Foundation, the nation's leading non-profit organization dedicated to advancing manufacturing education, and is endorsed by the Foundation's National Youth Council. Funding is provided by a variety of sources including The Ford Motor Company Fund, Caterpillar Inc., Eaton Corporation and Visteon. Previous supporters include the Nokomis Foundation, Gleason Foundation, Bush Foundation and the Engineering Information Foundation.

The STEPS program hosts between 80 -160 young people per summer at each camp location. At least 30 percent of the enrollment is reserved for minority students. By the end of the summer of 2004, nearly 3,600 young women and men will have participated in SME's STEPS camps.

The program targets young people at two critical stages in their educational career: as they enter seventh grade and then again as they enter 10th and 11th grade. Program curriculum is customized for each school location and the age of the campers. Previous participants have designed, manufactured, and then flown their own remote controlled airplanes, launched rocket payloads 3,500 feet in the air, and designed and tested an autonomous robotic vehicles that can perform environmental tests.

About the SME Education Foundation:

The SME Foundation was founded in 1979 and has awarded more than $17 million in cash grants, scholarships, and special awards - more funding than any other professional engineering society. The Foundation builds the future workforce by increasing interest in manufacturing-related careers among K-12 students and providing financial assistance to college students pursuing manufacturing, engineering, science, and technology degrees.

About SME

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing engineers and executives annually. The Society has members in 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of chapters worldwide.

Editors Note:

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers' background information, press registration forms and news releases can be accessed from the SME Home Page at www.sme.org/pressroom.

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If you have any questions or comments, please contact SME Public Relations by phone (313) 271-1500, e-mail communications@sme.org, or Fax: (313) 425-3403