HOUSTON – Feb. 19, 2016 – Girls in Spring ISD may help put an end to the gender gap in science and engineering careers. About 150 girls from Spring ISD will work alongside engineers from ExxonMobil this week as part of a national movement to inspire more girls to pursue careers in engineering.

Less than 25 percent of jobs in science, technology, math and engineering (STEM) fields are held by women, and only 14 percent are in engineering, according to the latest Economics and Statistics Administration report.

Media are invited to see the young engineers in action at the ExxonMobil Girls Engineering Festival on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. The event will be held at The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center located at 9905 Airport Rd., Conroe, TX 77303.

Engineers are problem solvers who face a variety of challenges every day. Tuesday’s hands-on projects are designed to get the girls thinking like engineers while having fun during National Engineers Week. Activities will include constructing marshmallow-launching catapults and meeting Texas A&M University engineering students who will tell them what to expect once they are in engineering school and how to start preparing for it now.

Spring ISD students, who will be joined at the event by girls from Magnolia ISD and Conroe ISD, also will have a chance to interview a panel of ExxonMobil engineers about their experiences in school and beyond.

WHO/WHAT: About 150 middle school students from Spring ISD will work alongside ExxonMobil engineers for a day.

WHERE: The Lone Star Convention & Expo Center, 9905 Airport Road, Conroe, TX 77303

WHEN: Tuesday, February 23, 2016, 10-11 a.m.

WHY: Although women comprise about half of the U.S. workforce, they hold only 14 percent of engineering jobs, according to the Economics and Statistics Administration. Encouraging students to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) is critical to the future of the U.S. workforce and economy.