Expectations

Selecting IGNITE members has proven to be a difficult task. The IGNITE Coordinator (Wendy Maitland), the supervisor of CTE, and the supervisor of engineering are meeting to recommend students for the chapter. Chapter members will become career advocates, getting the word out to other girls about the opportunities that are available to them. One challenge for a new chapter is to get girls interested in becoming members by overcoming the stereotypes associated with joining a group that has not been appealing in the past. Being a member needs to provide members a sense of pride and enlightenment.

The events scheduled for spring 2008 will be held during lunch and the first half of the next block. Pizza and door prizes provide incentive for girls to want to attend the event. The speakers will then captivate the participants by telling them their stories and sharing the excitement of their careers. The target audience will be 9th – 11th grade girls. The objective of each event is to increase an awareness of careers in technology and encourage girls to investigate new possibilities.

Flyers, the school newspaper –The Chieftain, the club page of the school website, and the school TV network will be used to advertise each event. A possible partnership with Arlington Public Schools “ALICE” program is being discussed where “ALICE” participants will develop animated advertising for the IGNITE events. The uniqueness of each cartoon would capture the attention of students and get them curious about what is going on in the chapter.

Attending the event will require a ticket that will be provided by the Coordinator during lunches prior to the day of the event. Each ticket will require the name of the student and a signature from their (lunch block) teacher indicating permission to attend. The tickets will be collected at the door and used to draw for door prizes.