The Society of Manufacturing Engineers' Science Technology And Engineering Preview Summer Camp for Girls Has Landed in Michigan

DEARBORN, Mich., June 25 -- The engineers of tomorrow have arrived in Detroit for a unique one-week educational camp. Forty 10th and 11th grade students from metro Detroit will participate in Michigan's first Science, Technology and Engineering Preview Summer Camp for girls (STEPS) being held on the campus of the University of Detroit Mercy June 24-28, 2002. The program is funded by Ford Motor Company and supported by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Education Foundation.

The University of Detroit Mercy curriculum, developed by UDM engineering professors, will have participants build a self-guided robot capable of entering areas unfit for humans. The skills involved in completing these projects include understanding robotic control systems, learning manufacturing techniques and applying chemical testing methods. Campers will also experience everyday college life: living in residence halls, eating meals on campus, attending classes in the engineering classrooms and labs, and learning from UDM professors. The campers will also visit the Ford Dearborn Assembly plant where they will see firsthand the many facets involved in manufacturing an automobile as well as meet and talk with Ford employees. In addition, a variety of recreational activities are scheduled including a walking road rally, volleyball games and dinner in Greektown.

The weeklong activities culminate with a special reception honoring the campers on Friday, June 28 at the UDM campus from noon to 3 p.m. Campers will also demonstrate and maneuver the self-guided robots they designed and manufactured, through a mock demonstration field.

The schedule of events include:

Noon - 1 p.m. Welcome reception 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. Graduation ceremony 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. Robotic vehicle demonstrations 2:15 - 3:00 p.m. Remarks Guest speakers include Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Attorney General, Anne Stevens, Vice President Vehicle Operations North America - Ford Motor Company, Louise Goeser, Vice President Quality - Ford Motor Company and Leo Hanifin, Ph.D., Dean, College of Engineering and Science.

STEPS, a tuition-free, technology-based summer camp for girls, was created in 1997 at the University of Wisconsin-Stout -- a Malcolm Baldrige award- winning university, as part of a major effort to attract more woman and minorities into the field of engineering early in their academic pursuits. The program targets young people at two critical stages, as they enter seventh grade and then again in 10th and 11th grades.

STEPS is funded by the SME Education Foundation, private foundations and industry partners. In 1999, SME-EF rolled out this program as a national youth initiative. With a grant from the Bush foundation, the following year, SME-EF implemented the nation's first coordinated and integrated technology- based outreach program for young woman and minorities. In 2003 STEPS will expand into Illinois.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is the world's second largest automaker, with approximately 335,000 employees in 200 markets on six continents. Its automotive brands include Aston Martin, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury and Volvo. Its automotive-related services include Ford Credit, Quality Care, Kwik-Fit and Hertz. With world headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., Ford Motor Company will officially observe its 100th anniversary on June 16, 2003. Additional information can be found on the company's Web site at www.ford.com .

Ford Motor Company Fund is the philanthropic arm of Ford, and education is its top priority. Ford Fund supports non-profit organizations in three priority areas -- education; community development (which includes public policy, health and social programs, civic affairs, and arts and humanities) and environment -- and continues to be committed to providing and enhancing opportunities to the people who live and work in the communities where the company does business. For more information about Ford Motor Company Fund, visit www.ford.com/en/ourcompany .

About the University of Detroit Mercy

University of Detroit Mercy is the most comprehensive private Catholic University in Michigan with three campuses located in northwest and downtown Detroit. Sponsored by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, UDM was formed in 1990 through the consolidation of the University of Detroit and Mercy College of Detroit. UDM has been a leader in engineering education since 1911 and offers over a dozen pre-college programs to serve students from 4th to 12th grades.

UDM ranks first in the state among 145 Midwestern master's universities in the 2002 edition of U.S. News and World Report's "America's Best Colleges" and second in the region in financial resources available to incoming students.

About the Society of Manufacturing Engineers

Celebrating its 70th anniversary, the Society of Manufacturing Engineers is the world's leading professional society supporting manufacturing education. Through its member programs, publications, expositions, and professional development resources, SME promotes an increased awareness of manufacturing engineering and helps keep manufacturing professionals up to date on leading trends and technologies. Headquartered in Michigan, SME influences more than half a million manufacturing engineers and executives annually. The Society has members in 70 countries and is supported by a network of hundreds of chapters worldwide. Visit us at www.sme.org .