The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is a Chicago-based association that helps empower women worldwide in engineering. It is one of the largest advocates for change for women, offering dozens of programs, memberships, scholarships, events, and even awards. Founded in 1950, SWE prides itself on equality and transparency.
70 years of women’s empowerment
The Society of Women Engineers has empowered women in engineering by giving them a unique voice and place in the industry for over 70 years. With over 47,000 individual collegiate and professional members, SWE is centered around their passion for each member’s success.
Although not officially established until 1950, the association sparked in the late 1940s when shortages in engineering resulted from men deployed in WWII. This provided new opportunities for women and female student groups at Drexel Institute of Technology in Philadelphia and Cooper Union in New York City, which began forming local networking activities and meetings. These meetings snowballed into roughly 50 women from four districts forming the Society of Women Engineers, hosting their first annual meeting in New York City in 1951.
SWE is dedicated to evolving with growing challenges and opportunities in the technology and engineering spaces. Their main objective is to develop women for professional excellence in their personal lives and careers. They also focus on globalization, women’s advocacy in the workplace, and championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEI&B).
Programs that go the extra mile
SWE offers youth and professional programs for women seeking resources to advance their careers.
The youth programs include:
- SWE Next
- SWE Next Connect
- SWE Next Influencers
- STEM Pathways
- SWE Next High School Leadership Academy (SHLA)
The professional programs include:
- SWE Learning
- Digital Credentialing
- Mentoring
- Advance Learning Center
SWENext is the overarching program for kids and youth, supporting girls from ages 5 to 18 who want to join the technology or engineering industry. The free program cultivates a community for learning about many career options in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM). It encourages kids to network by connecting with role models, peers, and industry professionals.
The programs for professionals include access to community college, compliance training, and endless courses through programs like Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering (ALWE).
Thanks to partnerships, sponsors, and donations, some of the education and resources are free, and some are available for an accessible price compared to traditional postsecondary institutions.
SWE also hosts events worldwide to help female schoolchildren understand and explore the possibilities of engineering as a career. In 2022, over 200 events took place, reaching more than 10,000 girls. In 2018, SWE also launched a podcast series called SWE’s Diverse Podcasts, which discusses women in the technology and engineering fields.
How partnering with the Society of Women Engineers helps your company
The SWE looks to its members, organizations, and corporations to support its vision of gender equality. It partners with companies in all industries and sizes to fully include women in technology and engineering.
Partners can help support critical outreach programs and their initiatives to improve diversity programming in the recruitment, advancement, and overall success of women engineers. SWE has separate sections for information on partnering for corporate councils, professional development, advertising and branding, scholarships, higher education programming, corporate responsibility, and more.
Partnering with associations like the SWE shows consumers that your company is committed to amplifying women in technology and engineering, and you’re a proud equal opportunity employer. Current partners include 3M, Amazon, Apple, Bose, Wells Fargo, UPS, and Walmart.
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