massachusetts institute of technology
society of women engineers

Enjoy access to a huge network of SWE professional members and mentors, faculty/student socials, recruiter/student socials, plant tours, workshops, speakers, community activities, scholarship eligibility, and much more! PLUS! If you decide to join National SWE, MIT SWE will give you 50% off membership!

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National SWE

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Region F SWE

What is KEYS?

KEYs is a motivational program that brings 11-13 year old girls together with MIT women students to participate in workshops held periodically throughout the year. The goal of KEYs is to empower young women by promoting their self-confidence, increasing their self-esteem, and unveiling opportunities for their potential career paths. Girls are encouraged to take a closer look at science and its impact on society. Workshops such as "Moving Beyond Stereotypes," "Women's Health and Medicine," and "The Environment and You," are designed to excite girls about science and inspire them to think about their lives in new ways. By showing girls what possibilities exist in their own lives, KEYs strives to help them develop their own goals and dreams.

Girls ages 11-13 are at the center of a critical educational dilemma in the United States. Educational bias, gender-based preconceptions, and stereotypes leave girls with diminished self-esteem and a compromised educational foundation. In response to this phenomenon KEYs was initiated at MIT in 1993, working toward the following goals:

• Promoting self-confidence
• Increasing self-esteem
• Unveiling opportunities for potential career paths
• Promoting interest in science, particularly among ethnic minorities/under-served girls
• Providing positive role models
• Encouraging direct action
• Overcoming negative stereotypes