Issue link: https://alabamapower.uberflip.com/i/524202
Mentoring program succeeds in first Western Division try This spring, seventh-grade girls at Davis-Emerson Middle School in Cottondale experienced what it is like to be an engineer through iCan. The popular educational program started in Birmingham in 2008 and has since expanded to Gadsden, Anniston and now Tuscaloosa. At Davis-Emerson, engineering came to life with hands-on activities highlighting civil and chemical engineering. In one of the activities, students were placed in teams and had to work together in hopes of constructing a straw tower that would hold more weight than the other teams' towers. For the second visit, students got a taste of chemical engineering by making ice cream in plastic bags. The purpose was to explore the chemical properties of water and how salt affects these properties. The iCan program concluded with a field trip to Greene County Steam Plant where the girls toured the facility and saw how electricity is made. The students also heard from female employees at the plant about their backgrounds in science, math and engineering and how they use their education in their jobs each day. iCan's mission is simple yet inspiring: "Empowering young, female minds of today to engineer a better world for tomorrow." Throughout the program, girls are encouraged to challenge themselves and the stereotype that women don't excel in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses. The students learn about engineering and career opportunities. However, iCan is also a chance for Alabama Power employees to give back to the community. "While girls in engineering was the highlight of the iCan program, our time with the girls was far more than that," said Carlette Durham, team leader, Land Acquisition and Services, Western Division Office. "I knew from our first meeting that these would be life- changing moments." It was special moments with the students that left volunteers like Sarah Barnes realizing the impact iCan is making on young females. "It was exciting to bring iCan to Tuscaloosa and to open up a new world of possibilities for girls who are interested in math and science," said Barnes, an engineer in Power Delivery Distribution- Tuscaloosa. "It is incredible to see students realize that they can change the world through engineering." At the end of the program, it was evident that the students' experiences with iCan can carry them well into the future. "Alabama Power volunteers guided our students through discovery and sparked an interest in math and science as they relate to careers," said Karen Davis, assistant principal at Davis-Emerson. "It was a very memorable experience for our students and our school." By Anna Catherine Roberson EDUCATION 3 Seventh-grade girls from Davis-Emerson Middle School got a taste of chemical engineering. Students worked together to solve problems.