Girl Scouts in Western New York experienced a first-person view of engineer life at a recent STEM promotion event at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo.
Two WSP employees, Henriette Zombori from the Federal Programs business, and Carly Staebell from the Earth and Environment business, were on hand to lead the students in an activity showcasing their daily work, and the types of engineering careers young women can embark upon.
The Society of American Military Engineers (SAME) Buffalo Chapter sponsors the annual “Day with an Engineer” event. This year’s activities included several STEM experiments and demonstrations, with Zombori and Staebell participating in a “create your own aquifer” activity.
Using cups, sand, gravel, clay, water and red food coloring, kids were able to see how water flows through different media in an aquifer, and how contamination can impact such systems.
“It was incredible to see professionals from a wide array of industries come together to share their passion for STEM and inspire the next generation,” Zombori said. “My conversation with a scout about her aspirations to become a geologist was one of the many highlights of the event. What an amazing experience!”
“It was so rewarding to see the curiosity and enthusiasm the Girl Scouts brought to the STEM activities at our table and beyond,” Staebell added.
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WSP volunteers Henriette Zombori (left) and Carly Staebell (right) lead Girl Scouts in an aquifer building activity at the “Day with an Engineer” event.
Getting Their Hands Dirty
“I saw kids being engaged, asking questions and getting their hands dirty,” said John Fazzolari, WSP vice president of civil engineering for Earth and Environment, who also attended the event. “The volume in the room was deafening, with 75 kids and 50 parents visiting our table.”
The most important reviews, of course, came from the young attendees, many of whose parents remarked in the local Girl Scout groups’ Facebook pages on its success:
“Had a blast at this event! Highly recommend if this comes around again or other events at Tifft.”
“This event was amazing! Our girls had a blast!”
“Troop #30349 had a great time at the Day with an Engineer event. The girls enjoyed every table. They loved being so hands on, and I was so impressed with the way everything was set up!”
“Henriette and Carly did a great job in coming up with the activity, setting the materials and testing everything out,” Fazzolari said. “To top it off, we won the unofficial award for ‘messiest activity’ and yes, we washed the sand and gravel out of the tablecloths at the end.”
©WSP
It may have been the messiest activity, but Carly Staebell (left) Henriette Zombori (right) made sure the Girl Scouts had an enjoyable and educational experience at their station.
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