OREANDA-NEWS. March 12, 2014. For the 11th consecutive year, the ExxonMobil Foundation will offer “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” activities at ExxonMobil sites around the country.

More than 450 ExxonMobil employees will host over 2,500 middle-school students at 16 locations to increase interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields as part of the Girl Day initiative by DiscoverE, formerly known as the National Engineers Week Foundation.

“In order to increase interest in STEM careers, especially among girls, it is vital that we provide opportunities for interaction with successful STEM professionals,” said Suzanne McCarron, president of the ExxonMobil Foundation. “Through ‘Introduce a Girl to Engineering’ activities, ExxonMobil hopes to engage girls early in their education in order to dispel common misconceptions that prevent women from pursuing fulfilling careers in math and science.”

Through the program, ExxonMobil employees will lead fun, hands-on activities connecting math and science to real-life applications, while also reinforcing classroom instruction. Activities will include demonstrations on the energy industry’s use of 3D technology to search for oil and natural gas as well as water purification, bridge building and other science-related experiments.

Attracting girls to math and science, and ultimately STEM careers, is critical to ensuring that the growing technological needs of the United States can be met. According to the 2013 Economic and Statistics Administration Report, women comprise half of the U.S. workforce, but hold fewer than 25 percent of STEM jobs and only 14 percent of engineering positions.

Since ExxonMobil began hosting “Introduce a Girl to Engineering” events more than a decade ago, nearly 10,000 students have participated in activities conducted at company facilities or through classroom demonstrations.