Society of Women Engineers Inspire the Next Generation at the Air Zoo on February 28, 2026, Kalamazoo, MI!

Photo courtesy of the Air Zoo | SWE: Engineering Challenge

This Event Has Ended. 

The Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Center, in partnership with the Society of Women Engineers South Central Michigan Section, is proud to host the 13th annual Corporate Engineering Challenge on Saturday, February 28. This dynamic, hands-on event is designed to inspire and empower girls to explore future careers in engineering.

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE),

is a not-for-profit educational and service organization dedicated to advancing women in engineering. Through outreach initiatives like the Corporate Engineering Challenge, SWE works to ignite curiosity and build confidence in STEM, helping close the gender gap in technical fields.

The event brings together girls ages 9 to 12 for a team-based engineering challenge guided by professionals from 16 innovative local companies and organizations. As teams collaborate, design, and test their solutions, Air Zoo guests are invited to experience the excitement firsthand.

From 9am to 3pm, interactive engineering activity tables hosted by the same 16 organizations will be open to all Air Zoo guests with admission. These hands-on experiences showcase cutting-edge engineering, advanced manufacturing, healthcare innovation, automation, energy, and applied sciences happening right here in our region.

Teams & Activities

• CRB | UV Light Bracelets

• Consumers Energy | Build a Wind Turbine

• Denso | Chilling With Denso

• FEMA Corporation | Sparkle Lab: Fun With Hydraulics

• Fishbeck | DIY STEM Kits

• Graphic Packaging International | How to Make Paper + Color Theory

• Parker Aerospace | Fun With Fluid Power

• Post Consumer Brands | How a Dust Collector Works

• Performance Validation | Airflow and Temperature Control in a Warehouse

• Perrigo | Rainbow Detective: The Science Behind the Ink

• Pfizer | Discovering Your Taste Buds

• RoviSys | Troubleshoot, Innovate, & Automate a RoviBakes Oven

• Stryker | Driven to Make Healthcare Better

• TRC | Powering Our Future

• Western Michigan University | How Magnetic Fields Work

• Zoetis | Animal Pharmaceuticals from Manufacturing to Packaging

For event details, visit airzoo.org/swe.

About the Air Zoo

The Air Zoo is an internationally acclaimed Smithsonian-affiliated aerospace and science center, boasting a renowned collection of over 100 rare and historically significant aircraft and more than 80,000 unique artifacts, displays, and exhibits showcasing history, science, and technology. The Air Zoo stands apart from similar museums and learning centers of its kind, with a keen focus on hands-on learning and engaging educational programs. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the Air Zoo is a one-of-a-kind destination perfect for the whole family with flight simulators, a theater, amusement rides, hands-on exhibits, a restoration program that specializes in WWII planes rescued from the bottom of Lake Michigan, and a one-of-a-kind indoor, hand-painted mural that reaches 32 feet tall and 800 feet wide!