Outreach Programs

The UVA SWE Chapter has developed programs to help encourage young women to enter engineering. Currently, these programs focus on high school women. However, we hope to extend our outreach programs to middle school and possibly even elementary schools.

The biggest outreach program organized by the UVA SWE chapter is the High School Visitation Program . In addition, our chapter distributes national SWE scholarship applications to all women accepted into the engineering school in the spring of each year.

Social Activities

In addition to providing its members with professional support, the UVA SWE chapter also serves as a social support network. SWE provides a link between upper-class students and incoming first year students, as well as a link between faculty members and students.

One of the biggest programs that SWE organizes to support incoming first year students is the Big and Little Sister Program. During the summer before entering the University of Virginia, first year women are contacted to see if they would like to have a SWE "big sister." SWE members are paired up with first year women interested in the program and the "big" and "little" sisters communicate throughout the summer and the following school year.

Service events and social activities are also important events held by SWE. They include:

• SWE Picnics and Barbecues
• Hiking Trips
• SWE Sing (An a capella concert to benefit the Salvation Army)
• Girl Scout Activities
• Student/Faculty Mixers