Cesilia Lee, Fiorella Pezzarossi, and Ana Isabel Lafuente, students of Industrial Engineering at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala (UVG), recently led a project to introduce young women from Instituto para Señoritas Belén to science and engineering.
The initiative involved practical activities designed to bring basic and high school level students closer to scientific thinking. The project also aimed to show that engineering involves creativity, leadership, and teamwork.
The idea for the project came from Ing. Carlos Par, a faculty member teaching Production Engineering at UVG. It was supported by the Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (SENACYT) as part of the Clubes de Ciencias program. The director of UVG’s Department of Industrial Engineering is one of the program sponsors.
The project focused on two main areas adapted for different academic levels. Cesilia Lee and Fiorella Pezzarossi worked with first through third-year basic level students, while Ana Isabel Lafuente led activities for fourth and fifth-year high school students.
Two main activities were implemented to demonstrate key concepts in industrial and structural engineering. For basic-level students, an exercise involving paper boat manufacturing simulated a production chain. Groups took on specific roles such as operators, quality managers, and process engineers.
Fiorella Pezzarossi said: “It was something that really impressed me because I noticed many creative solutions and a high level of involvement as well as interest in learning more about engineering.”
For older students, Ana Isabel Lafuente guided an activity building spaghetti towers intended to teach concepts in physics and structural design. Ana Isabel stated: “I loved seeing that they were happy building their towers and that the time assigned extended beyond an hour and a half enjoying the construction process.”
According to the organizers, the project had a positive impact by introducing practical concepts taught in Industrial Engineering courses. The approach encouraged creativity, teamwork, and discipline among participants.
Cesilia Lee described the experience as both challenging and enriching. She added: “The goal was to motivate them so they can be whatever they want—not just what others say.”
Ana Isabel commented: “Applying what we learned in class and sharing it with other young women was an experience that reaffirmed our passion for Industrial Engineering.”
At UVG, students are encouraged to optimize processes and create impact through projects starting from their first year.
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