EngineerGirl Ambassador Launches Design Camp for Girls
Miss Lauren Eppinger, Vermont Academy Class of 2020 and resident of Grafton, Mass., was selected by the National Academy of Engineering as one of only sixteen high school girls from across the country to serve as an EngineerGirl ambassador. This November, she will attend the Society of Women Engineers annual conference in her capacity as ambassador.
As an EngineerGirl ambassador, Miss Eppinger is committed to designing, developing and implementing a project in her local community to encourage young girls to think about engineering and possible careers in engineering. Miss Eppinger’s project is a week-long summer “design camp” for eleven middle school girls held in Saxtons River, Vermont the week of August 5, 2019. The sessions are collaborative and creative and focus on how engineering helps solve real-world problems. Eppinger utilized a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam activity, Electronic Textiles, to interest and engage the middle
schoolers in exploring core engineering concepts. Students from local public schools and the Kurn Hattin School and some homeschooled students participated in the program.
Vermont Academy’s Head of School Dr. Jennifer Zaccara described Miss Eppinger as an “intensely vibrant, intellectual, and outgoing individual. She’s inspired and inspiring.” Not only is Miss Eppinger extremely passionate about the STEM field, but she has also been on the stage, active in athletics, and is someone who can relate to a wide variety of people, which Dr. Zaccara highlighted as one of the many reasons why Miss Eppinger is a campus leader. “I think what’s so exciting is that she can come up with a great concept, turn it into something and then follow through with it,” Dr. Zaccara said of Miss Eppinger’s project. “She’s got her eye on where we are going in the future educationally, and I’m excited to see where this project takes her. Vermont Academy is proud to support Miss Eppinger’s project.”
Miss Eppinger’s passion for science and engineering began at a young age. She says, “All my life, I have been a tinkerer and problem-solver. I have tried to view obstacles as opportunities – new ways of approaching things, creating things, thinking about things. I have always liked to work with my hands, and find that I learn better by doing than watching. Until recently, I didn’t realize this is much like what engineers do.” She is able to pursue her passions at Vermont Academy, where she is a member of the Robotics Team and takes engineering classes. Eppinger states, “individual student interests are nurtured and supported [at Vermont Academy]. I would like to spark that same interest in younger girls that started me on my path. I would like
As an EngineerGirl ambassador, Miss Eppinger is committed to designing, developing and implementing a project in her local community to encourage young girls to think about engineering and possible careers in engineering. Miss Eppinger’s project is a week-long summer “design camp” for eleven middle school girls held in Saxtons River, Vermont the week of August 5, 2019. The sessions are collaborative and creative and focus on how engineering helps solve real-world problems. Eppinger utilized a Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam activity, Electronic Textiles, to interest and engage the middle
schoolers in exploring core engineering concepts. Students from local public schools and the Kurn Hattin School and some homeschooled students participated in the program.
Vermont Academy’s Head of School Dr. Jennifer Zaccara described Miss Eppinger as an “intensely vibrant, intellectual, and outgoing individual. She’s inspired and inspiring.” Not only is Miss Eppinger extremely passionate about the STEM field, but she has also been on the stage, active in athletics, and is someone who can relate to a wide variety of people, which Dr. Zaccara highlighted as one of the many reasons why Miss Eppinger is a campus leader. “I think what’s so exciting is that she can come up with a great concept, turn it into something and then follow through with it,” Dr. Zaccara said of Miss Eppinger’s project. “She’s got her eye on where we are going in the future educationally, and I’m excited to see where this project takes her. Vermont Academy is proud to support Miss Eppinger’s project.”
Miss Eppinger’s passion for science and engineering began at a young age. She says, “All my life, I have been a tinkerer and problem-solver. I have tried to view obstacles as opportunities – new ways of approaching things, creating things, thinking about things. I have always liked to work with my hands, and find that I learn better by doing than watching. Until recently, I didn’t realize this is much like what engineers do.” She is able to pursue her passions at Vermont Academy, where she is a member of the Robotics Team and takes engineering classes. Eppinger states, “individual student interests are nurtured and supported [at Vermont Academy]. I would like to spark that same interest in younger girls that started me on my path. I would like
to help girls see the creative and fun sign of engineering, and how the world around us is full of things that were just solutions to everyday problems.”
Miss Eppinger partnered with Vermont Academy and Main Street Arts (MSA), both located in Saxtons River, VT, to launch the summer design camp. Vermont Academy donated their rental space on Main Street for the week-long program, which is utilized during the school year for after-school robotics programming for local students. Miss Eppinger’s project sponsor Mr. Joe Echanis, a resident of Saxtons River and Vermont Academy alumnus and science faculty member, donated his time to help with the project. MSA added the art components to the program and donated marketing and advertising assistance.
Miss Eppinger partnered with Vermont Academy and Main Street Arts (MSA), both located in Saxtons River, VT, to launch the summer design camp. Vermont Academy donated their rental space on Main Street for the week-long program, which is utilized during the school year for after-school robotics programming for local students. Miss Eppinger’s project sponsor Mr. Joe Echanis, a resident of Saxtons River and Vermont Academy alumnus and science faculty member, donated his time to help with the project. MSA added the art components to the program and donated marketing and advertising assistance.
About EngineerGirl: EngineerGirl was launched in 2001 to bring national attention to the exciting opportunities that engineering represents to girls and women. The website is a service of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). For more information, visit engineergirl.org.
Vermont Academy is a coed college preparatory boarding and day school in southern Vermont, serving grades 9-12 plus a postgraduate year.
