March 2014 Special Edition: Women in Energy & Climate Change

Each year, March is designated as National Women's History Month
to ensure the history of American women will be recognized and
celebrated in schools, workplaces, and communities throughout the country.
The 2014 theme is "Celebrating Women of Character, Courage, and Commitment".

This week the NGCP celebrates Women in Energy & Climate Change.

NGCP Partner

U.S. Department of Energy

The United States Department of Energy is actively working to address the shortage of females engaged in STEM in the United States through its Women @ Energy initiative, showcasing employees by sharing their stories of how they are changing the world through science and innovation. View profiles of women across the country and learn what inspires and excites them about their work. http://energy.gov/diversity/listings/women-energy

FabFems in Energy & Climate Change

Growing up in a family of engineers, Carolyn Baker knew from a young age that engineering was her field of choice. Her career began at Dupont in the Field Engineering program where she was able to rotate functions and be exposed to different engineering career tracks. With a curiosity to find out what was missing in her career, Carolyn moved into the energy and environment field in 2007 with Valero Energy Corporation where she works as an Environmental Engineer. To learn more about Carolyn, visit her FabFems profile.

FabFems Logo

FabFems are enthusiastic about the science and technology work they do and want to inspire a future generation of FabFems.

Historical Women in Energy & Climate Change

Beatrice Hicks (1919-1979)

Beatrice Hicks pioneered the way for countless other women in the field of engineering. She was inspired by great structures such as the Empire State Building to become an engineer. She was the first woman engineer to be employed by Western Electric Company where she patented a molecular density scanner and developed industry standards for quality control procedures. Ms. Hicks worked tirelessly to make the field of engineering more accessible to women in an era where less than 1% of engineers employed in the US were women.

Learn more at: http://www.greatwomen.org/women-of-the-hall/search-the-hall/details/2/188-Hicks.

Energy & Climate Change Events and Resources

National Environmental Education Week (EE Week)

April 13-19, 2014

EE Week is a celebration of environmental education to inspire environmental learning and stewardship among K-12 students. This year's theme, "Greening STEM: Engineering a Sustainable World," explores the application of engineering to sustainable solutions for a healthier planet and healthier people. http://eeweek.org

Earth Day 2014

April 22, 2014

This year's theme, "The Green Cities Campaign," is a call to action for investing in efficiency and renewable energy and rebuilding our cities and towns to solve the climate crisis. Learn more about how to get involved and explore their education resources.
http://www.earthday.org/program/education

Women of Wind (WoWE): WoWE was founded in 2005 to ensure that women play a full, productive role in the development of wind power by supporting wind energy education, training, and inclusion for women entering the industry. http://www.womenofwindenergy.org

Women's Council on Energy and the Environment (WCEE): WCEE is a member-driven organization that focuses on women, energy and the environment and is recognized as a respected voice in the fields of energy and the environment. http://www.wcee.org

Council on Women in Energy & Environmental Leadership (CWEEL): CWEEL supports the role of women in the energy and environmental industries by assisting in career development activities and enabling young women with mentors to support their own development. http://www.cweel.org

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): The EPA offers a content rich website with resources, activities, podcasts, environmental footprint calculators, and lesson plans to help students and

teachers commit to help protect the environment. http://www.epa.gov

National Science Foundation (NSF) Climate Change Resources: NSF offers resources for earth science teachers and students to examine the connections between energy and climate. The website includes discussions with experts, slideshows, videos, and a NSF report summarizing the current state of knowledge about climate change. http://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/climate

Spread the Word

Help us celebrate Women's History Month by paying tribute to outstanding women in STEM fields with your networks! Here are a few easy and simple ways to spread the word:

Like us on Facebook and share our daily posts featuring Women in Energy & Climate Change and resources for inspiring girls to pursue this exciting STEM field!
Follow us on Twitter and retweet or repost our daily tweets to your followers.
Share your own stories about women who have inspired you using #WHMSTEM all month long!

Watch for the special edition next week highlighting Women in the Maker Community.