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West High School empowers girls by offering special engineering class

It’s a class that just started this school year at West High School in Davenport, Introduction to Engineering and Design. It’s a class offered only ...

The room is filled with pops of pink and purple, while freshly manicured fingernails control the computer mouse. There are around 20 girls and their male teacher.

"We can be a little overwhelming, a whole group of girls with one him," explains freshman Jalissa Peiffer.

This is a room filled with engineering students.

It's a class that just started this school year at West High School in Davenport, Introduction to Engineering and Design. It's a class offered only to girls.

Right now women make up less than 20 percent of college engineering students.

"That number is very low. There's a huge demand for engineers in the US, and we want to be a part of that solution," says teacher Jason Franzenburg.

This course was designed to give girls confidence in a field where they are likely to be the minority.

"It is really intimidating. Every single time I heard engineering, I was like, oh, that's boys. They're just going to dominate me, and I won't be anything," says Peiffer.

The class is focused on teams. Together they complete three different engineering projects. And with just a semester under their belts, they were able to re-engineer their thoughts on the field in general.

"I can do this. I just have to put the effort towards it, and it will happen," says Peiffer.

The class is reversing stereotypes with one simple reminder.

"There is nothing wrong with being a girl engineer," says Peiffer.

Because of the success of the class this school year, it will continue to be offered.

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