WALTHAM, Mass., Feb. 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- With potential for high earnings and plentiful job opportunities, engineering is a career option more students should consider. For National Engineers Week, Feb. 22-28, Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN), Boys & Girls Clubs, and a number of schools and universities will co-host community events across the country, each designed to help inspire students to seek a future in the science and math professions.

National Engineers Week is a campaign established by DiscoverE to encourage young students to pursue engineering degrees. Hundreds of Raytheon employees will volunteer at events nationwide during the week.

On Girl Day of National Engineers Week – Thursday, Feb. 26 – Raytheon will partner with Boys & Girls Clubs of America for 16 events across the country, helping to make girls aware that the path to an engineering career is open to them. The event will include science experiments and talks by role models, many of them female engineers.

There's a reason to focus on girls: Women represented only 28 percent of the science and engineering professions in 2010, even though half the college-educated workforce is female, according to statistics from the National Science Foundation.

Raytheon volunteers derive deep satisfaction from helping students discover an interest in STEM subjects. Leonard D. Vance, senior engineering fellow at Raytheon Missile Systems, has been a Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) volunteer teacher for 11 years. MESA is a program to help educationally disadvantaged students, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college, to become math, science and engineering professionals.

Vance says it is particularly gratifying to help girls realize they can pursue a future in engineering. "You get to upset their expectations," he said. "You get to look them in the eye and have them realize they really have as good a mind, as good a capability, to do what they've expected only boys could do."

To learn more about Raytheon's science, technology, engineering and math education initiatives, visit http://www.raytheon.com/responsibility/.

About MathMovesU
Raytheon's MathMovesU^® program is an initiative committed to increasing middle and elementary school students' interest in math and science education by engaging them in hands-on, interactive activities. The innovative programs of MathMovesU include the traveling interactive experience MathAlive!^®; Raytheon's Sum of all Thrills™ experience at INNOVENTIONS at Epcot^®, which showcases math in action as students design and experience their own thrill ride using math fundamentals; the "In the Numbers" game, a partnership with the New England Patriots on display at The Hall at Patriot Place presented by Raytheon; the company's ongoing sponsorship of the MATHCOUNTS^® National Competition; and the MathMovesU scholarship and grant program. Follow MathMovesU and other Raytheon community outreach programs on Facebook and on Twitter @MathMovesU.

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @Raytheon.

 

Media Contact
Raytheon Company
Mike Doble
+1. 703.284.4345
corporatepr@raytheon.com

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SOURCE Raytheon Company