On February 21, 2013, women engineers, along with their male counterparts, will engage and mentor as many as one million girls around the country during National Engineers Week Foundation’s 12th Annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day. This empowering day is packed with workshops, lab tours, on-line discussions and interactive, hands-on activities at businesses, universities, libraries and other venues across the country. Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day is one of the tent pole events that make up Engineers Week 2013, February 17-23, 2013.

Polygon Solutions Inc. will host a shop tour and interactive program about engineering. Polygon is a manufacturer of rotary broach tools, used to make hexagon and square holes using modern CNC machines, and is inviting girls from Lee Virtual School to learn more about engineering as a career choice. Polygon Solutions has selected Lee County’s Virtual School as their school in the Dream It! Do It! Adopt a School program with the MAF Center for Advanced Manufacturing Excellence.

"Florida manufacturers are poised to capture their fair share of the world's manufacturing but they must have skilled, educated and certified workers." said Al Stimac, President of the Manufacturers Association of Florida. Many girls are convinced that engineering is a field that does not readily embrace female professionals. The inspiring message of Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day turns that assumption on its head. The next generation will see the end of the long held belief about engineering and gender, in which men have traditionally dominated. For young women interested in engineering, the walls are coming down, the ceiling is cracking and the opportunities have never been greater or more exciting.

Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, 2013, is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sally Ride, America’s first woman in space. Dr. Ride was a leading proponent of STEM education, an early participant in Girl Day and an inspiration for girls and women around the world.  Dr. Ride’s work continues through Sally Ride Science (www.sallyridescience.com), the company she founded to educate and engage young learners.

"Sally was deeply committed to fostering girls’ interest in STEM. We are honored by this dedication and applaud Engineers Week’s efforts to attract more girls to engineering," said Dr. Karen Flammer, co-founder of Sally Ride Science. Polygon is a member of the Southwest Regional Manufacturing Association, and partners with other local manufacturers to improve conditions for manufacturing sustainability and economic growth in the region.