GoldieBlox Breaks into Toys R Us

We first brought you word of this exciting engineering toy for girls earlier in the year.  See info below for ways to show your support!!!

Drumroll please… GoldieBlox is in Toys R Us nationwide (!!!)

Your support made this possible. Watch our girls paint the pink aisle gold in this epic launch video: http://www.youtube.com/goldieblox

As exciting as this is, the odds are against us. We’ve been told that GoldieBlox can’t survive in mass stores next to Barbie. Convention says that engineering toys for girls are a “niche” for the affluent, and for the internet. Together, we must prove convention wrong. Here’s how you can help:

1) Share this video with your friends on Facebook
2) Go to your local Toys R Us and find GoldieBlox (it’s kind of like “Where’s Waldo?”)
3) Tweet or Instagram pictures of GoldieBlox on store shelves (#GoldieBloxintheWild)
4) Forward this email to 10 friends or family members

It’s time to march friends, family, and children into Toys R Us, look at the Barbies on the shelves, and then walk out with GoldieBlox instead.

March on,

Debbie + Team Goldie

 

SWE Region D Conference

Six members of the SWE-CM Section attended the March 28 – February 2, 2013 SWE Region D Conference in Orlando.  Jennifer Braganza, Rose Mary Seymour, Tolani Owasu, Chris Cathcart, Cheryl Kinchen and Angela Berry all made the 8 hour drive to Orlando.  SWE-CM participants made presentations, attended workshops and tours and attended the SWE business meeting.  The event was capped off with a Masquerade Ball on Saturday night with good food and an opportunity to continue networking with the Collegiate and Professional members in attendance.  Chris Cathcart, Cheryl Kinchen and Angela Berry (l to r in picture) hammed it up in the photo booth at the Masquerade Ball.

Hamming it up in the Masquerade Ball photo booth
Hamming it up in the Masquerade Ball photo booth

Citizen Schools WOW! Event

We are half way through our joint Citizen Schools Engineering Apprenticeship with NSBE-CAEC.  Please make plans to join us on Thursday, April 25th 6:00 – 8:00 PM (Demonstrations start at 7:00 PM) at Martin Luther King Middle School, 500 Bilmark Avenue – Charlotte, NC 28213 for the students to present what they have learned during their apprenticeship.

You may not have been able to teach a session in the Citizen Schools apprenticeship, but feel free to join as to see the students showcase what they learned during the 10-week apprenticeship about engineering. We really want to have a crowd of support for the students so please attend if you are available. Contact [email protected] for more information.

 

168 Volunteer Hours in January & February

SWE-Charlotte-Metrolina has documented 168 volunteer hours on Outreach efforts during the first two months of 2013 utilizing the SWEeter Futures website rolled out by SWE HQ earlier this year.  138 of the 168 hours were for our Girl Scout “Engineers Are Epic!” badge event held February 23 as part of National Engineers Week.  The remaining hours have been a result of our Citizen Schools 10-week Engineers Are Epic! apprenticeship in conjunction with NSBE.  Thank you to all of you who volunteer!  We are slowly but surely sharing the message with the next generation that engineering is a fun career choice with lots of opportunities and benefits!

Citizen Schools Apprenticeship Underway!

Volunteer engineers from the Charlotte-Metrolina Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Section and National Society of Black Engineers – Charlotte Alumni Extension Chapter (NSBE-CAEC) started as  “Citizen Teachers” for a ten week engineering apprenticeship through Citizen Schools at CMS’ Martin Luther King Middle School on February 7, 2013.  The ten week apprenticeship will showcase the field of engineering to 20 sixth grade students.  The students will meet with volunteer “Citizen Teachers” from SWE and NSBE-CAEC weekly to complete hands on activities showing how engineers solve everyday problems to make the world a better place.

Catapult (2)
Students building their catapults from Agilent Kits
photo 4
Students test their “puff mobile”