July Newsletter

Event Highlight FY24 Year-End Celebration Last month, NAL SWE members gathered to celebrate the year’s accomplishments.  We highlighted the year’s accomplishments and honored members and sponsors with a total of 21 awards.  We are inspired by the successes of last year and excited for FY25! If you could not attend to receive your award, please reach out to us so we can arrange to get it to you. Also, please reach out if you have not yet received your headshots, and we’ll share them with you.

FY24 Review In FY24, NAL SWE… Hosted four social events; Started the North Alabama STEM Essay Contest; Hosted two professional development events; Sponsored six outreach events; Members collectively volunteered 440 hours on behalf of NAL SWE.

Upcoming Events

August Section Meeting and Social August 10, 1 PM – 2 PM Downtown Huntsville Public Library Meeting Room A 915 Monroe Street Huntsville, AL 35801 Meet fellow members and learn about what is going on in the section! The meeting will begin at 1 PM with the social immediately to follow.

Trash Pandas Tour and Game July 23, 5:00 PM  Join us for an evening of fun with the Trash Pandas team, including an exclusive behind the scenes tour of the stadium! Tickets: SWE Members – $45 Non-SWE Members – $55  What’s included? A behind the scenes tour, tickets to the game, parking, buffet dinner, and fountain drinks. Timeline: 5:00 PM – Tour starts 5:30 PM – Tour ends and buffet opens 6:35 PM – Game Starts Don’t worry if you can’t make it for the tour–the tour was a free add on from the Trash Pandas hospitality team and is not factored into the ticket price. Tickets are limited, so be sure you snag yours early! More information will be sent to ticket holders a week prior to the game.  Buy Tickets

Outreach Events

New Futures Outreach About Saturday, July 27, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM We are excited for our second year leading a STEM day camp at New Futures Inc. They are the only homeless shelter in north Alabama that allows families to reside together in one unit. On average, they have between 20-25 children on site of varying ages, and they ask the community for outreach opportunities for the children over the summer. Volunteer We need volunteers throughout the day to make the event a success! Multiple timeslots are available–more details will be provided on activities after the planning meeting. Volunteer Donate We’ve raised $80 of our $200 goal for supplies for the event, so please consider using the link below to donate. Additional or unused funds will be donated to New Futures Inc. Donate

General Announcements

Presidential Volunteer Service Awards Announcement NAL SWE is now a certifying organization for the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (PVSA). The PVSA is a civil award created to recognize those who volunteer  hours on behalf of their community.  We are excited to offer the awards for free to members of our section who meet the award criteria.If you are interested in earning an award, you’ll need to keep a record of your volunteer hours throughout the  fiscal year (July 2024 – June 2025) and turn it in at the end of the year.  Volunteer hours from outside organizations/events count towards your award as well! The hours required to earn an award can be found below.  If you have further questions, please reach out to us using the button below. Email Us

Call for Merch Designs We’re looking for designs for t-shirts, stickers, bags, and more! If you would like to submit a design or have questions, please email us using the button below. Email Us

Membership Programming Poll What would you like to see from NAL SWE? Use the poll below to give us feedback and let us know what types of events you’d like to see in the future. Poll

Call for Speakers We’re hosting a virtual speaker series, and we’re looking for speakers! Interested in presenting? Use the interest form below to briefly pitch your ideas. You don’t need to have fully formed presentations yet, and we can help with development as needed. Poll

Behind the Scenes FY25 NAL SWE Goals We will reference our events from the previous year and use the results from the membership programming poll to build goals for FY25!

Topic of the Month

Disability Pride Month Disability Pride Month, celebrated every July, is a time to honor and uplift the diverse experiences and contributions of people with disabilities. It’s an opportunity to advocate for inclusivity, celebrate achievements, and raise awareness about the ongoing challenges faced by the disability community. By embracing Disability Pride Month, we acknowledge the resilience and strength of individuals who navigate a world that often overlooks their needs, and we commit to creating a more equitable and accessible society for everyone. How can you learn more? SWE’s DisAbility Inclusion Affinity Group was formed to build a supportive, safe community for differently abled/disabled engineers, caregivers, and allies to network and develop themselves professionally. You can opt into communication from DisAbility within the SWE portal.• Register for Women of Color in Engineering Collaborative’s upcoming webinar, Critical Accessibility Theory: Harnessing Strength as Women of Color in Engineering, to hear insights and strategies for navigating within the field as and alongside women of color in engineering. The webinar is on July 26, at 3 PM via Zoom; you can learn more and register using the link below. Register

Have ideas for outreach or events? Email us! We’d love to have your input on what is important to you or how you’d like to see SWE participate in the community.  NAL SWE is always open to feedback and ideas. Email Us

Donate  North Alabama SWE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations are 100% tax-deductible. Donations go towards providing resources to students and members through outreach, professional development, and more. We appreciate your support! If you are no longer interested in receiving emails from NAL SWE, please email us at nal@swe.org.