POWERGRAMS

Alabama Power and Girls Inc. hosted the third annual iCan Girls in Engineering Conference March 1 at Corporate Headquarters in an environment combining technical know-how with fun-filled activities. As part of iCan's mission, female engineers teach what their field involves. Middle school girls in Jefferson and Shelby counties in this year's conference participated in activities involving engineering, math and science. The audience of would-be engineers and their parents heard from Kim Flowers, Southern Company vice president of Engineering, and Birmingham Division Vice President Bobbie Knight prior to the girls getting into the hands-on portion of the day. "We are very fortunate. We have a committed group of professionals who volunteer their time to be role models for young girls," said System Operations Manager Elaine Kwarcinski, an iCan sponsor. "Our goal is to spark an interest in the field of engineering and to show them that a career in engineering opens a world of opportunity for them." Students attended breakout sessions where they worked on specific challenges with team members. In one activity, students were instructed to create dance mats. They used cardboard, aluminum foil, batteries and light bulbs to construct and decorate their mats. The goal of the exercise was to learn about creating circuits and other specifics involved in the electrical engineering profession. Another activity involved a competition for the creation of a "Rube Goldberg" machine. Students were instructed to build a mechanism that could be used to feed their family dogs. This exercise, which utilized physics and mechanical engineering, culminated in a machine using dominoes, Popsicle sticks, yo-yos and playdough to dispense dog food. The students were scored on presentation, complexity and team chemistry. They were awarded bonus points for how "fun" their machine was and whether it made sounds. In the end, the competition came down to precision. The machines had to work accurately. Four teams claimed prizes for their efforts. Engineer Holly Copeland was one of the volunteers behind using the Rube Goldberg exercise, a new addition for this year's conference. "I was extremely impressed with the work these groups of young girls produced," said Copeland. "The winning teams were able to get their machines working within two hours. That's pretty significant and speaks to the fact that their work shows promise." For more information on iCan or to get involved, go to www.icanengineer.com. By Keisa Sharpe Conference gives girls chance to engineer future EDuCATiON Transmission Analyst Copeland demonstrates Tesla electric car. 4 Photos by wynter byrd Middle school students work on project.

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