Engineering outreach program awarded $10,000 grant

Go WEST, a high school outreach program run by UVic engineering students, has been awarded $10,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council's annual PromoScience competition.

The Go WEST team seeks to break down the barriers and misconceptions that prevent students from pursuing careers in engineering and technology. The NSERC funds will allow Go WEST to reach more than 3,000 students on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast and the Lower Mainland.

"Giving high school students the chance to see if engineering interests them is what Go WEST is all about," says program director Jill Nishida. "Many students, especially girls, don't find out about engineering in high school. When I was in Grades 10 and 11 I had no idea what engineering was. Now I'm graduating from UVic's faculty of engineering next year."

The NSERC funds will also go toward Go WEST summer camps. The camps are designed to immerse secondary students—Grades 9 through 12—in all aspects of engineering, from campus life and course offerings to industry tours and discussions with engineers, scientists, professors, and current students. Participants take part in activities and workshops that involve problem-solving and design.
For more information go to www.gowest.uvic.ca or call 721-8983.