Middle School Girls Encouraged to Explore Engineering as a Career with Girls Inc. and National Grid

LongIsland.com

Students toured the Northport Power Plant and spoke to inspiring women engineers.

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Northport, NY - February 26, 2015 - Girls Inc. of Long Island brought a group of 24 middle school girls to National Grid’s Northport Power Plant to see first hand the day in the life of an engineer. The girls came from the school districts of William Floyd, Patchogue, and Central Islip.

Northport Power Plant Manager gave the girls a quick study in the history, layout and function of the power plant to give them an orientation to the impact of the utility’s services. Girls toured the plant with hard hats, and got a first-hand look at some of the operations. They were also given an in-depth look at the control room.

“National Grid did such an incredible job introducing our girls to the industry,” said Girls Inc. Executive Director, Neela Lockel. “I am so happy they got to meet these incredible women, who shared such great stories of their own journeys in STEM.

“We always hear about the struggles women have in the field of engineering,” said Nathalia Reis, a seventh grader at William Floyd Middle School. “What is the experience like here at National Grid?” With a mix of Chemical, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers, the panel answered from various perspectives and experiences.

A panel of National Grid women engineers from all disciplines, chemical, mechanical, and electrical with various perspectives and experiences fielded a barrage of questions from the girls. Topics included career paths, college studies, gender bias, opportunities for advancement, and a strong emphasis on the lack of women in the STEM industries.

“The girls were so engaged – it was great to see them really taking it all in and getting excited,” said National Grid Community and Customer Manager and Girls Inc. of Long Island Board Member, Kathy Wisnewski.

Girls Inc. Long Island
The mission of Girls Incorporated® of Long Island is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold. We provide school and community based programming that serves the unique needs of girls, ages 5-18, living in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Through community partnerships, we help girls to achieve their full potential making their future brighter.

Girls Incorporated® of Long Island is dedicated to the advocacy of gender equity for all girls in all areas of their lives. Through participation in our programs, girls learn the skills to become leaders in their communities, leading to exponential change.

About National Grid
National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.

Through its U.S. Connect21 strategy, National Grid is transforming its electricity and natural gas networks to support the 21st century digital economy with smarter, cleaner, and more resilient energy solutions. Connect21 is vital to our communities' long-term economic and environmental health and aligns with regulatory initiatives in New York (REV: Reforming the Energy Vision) and Massachusetts (Grid Modernization).