Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) a major outreach effort of the UI College of Engineering, held its WiSE STEM Extravangza February 11 at the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa, Coralville, IA. More than 50 fourth-sixth grade students participated, up from 28 students last year.  There were 19 fourth grade, 12 fifth grade, and 22 sixth grade students attending.  Students came from 22 schools in five eastern Iowa counties.

The event was designed to ignite students' inner curiosity through fun hands-on activities focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Each activity provided students with a challenge that encourages them to unleash their creativity.

Breakout sessions were held for Science--industrial hygiene, facilitated by the graduate student organization I3HSA, Iowa-Illinois Industrial Hygiene Association; technology--facilitated by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Computer Science faculty; engineering--facilitated by the Iowa Flood Center; and math--facilitated by current undergraduate WiSE math major and WiSE alumna.

Large group sessions included a Civil Engineering activity--facilitated by College of Engineering Civil Engineering faculty; and the Science of Ice Cream (facilitated by Society of Women Engineers (SWE) undergraduate student organization,

Drawings for scholarships to the UI College of Engineering summer camps were held as well. The afternoon ended with the always-popular making of liquid nitrogen ice cream for students attending.