Welcome to our Sponsor Homepage! We have developed this section to keep both past and potential sponsors informed about our Pathways Programs.

Boston University hosted the first Pathways Program in 1994 and drew approximately 75 teachers and students from the Boston area. A cadre of a few dozen women from Boston University participated in the program which took place during the public school vacation. Most of the students who attended came independently; all showed great interest and curiosity and their enthusiastic response encouraged us to continue the program.

The following year, we scheduled Pathways on a school day and nearly 300 teachers and students from 38 schools in eastern Massachusetts attended. That year 60 women were involved in some component of the program and women from Boston University were joined by colleagues at Harvard Medical School along with a few from industry. Again we received very positive responses from the participants.

Pathways '96 drew a capacity crowd of over 400 teachers and students from more than 40 high schools across Massachusetts; we also had to turn away over 150 other students for whom there was no space. It was becoming clear that teachers wanted to return each year with new students and that the event was increasing in popularity. Over 80 women scientists, mathematicians and engineers from academe and industry participated in some portion of the day-long program.

In planning for Pathways '97, we realized that in order to accommodate the growing numbers of students and still retain the program's interactive character, we needed to host twin events on separate days. Our expectations were met as over 600 teachers and students registered for the programs on April 1 and 2, 1997. Over 100 women volunteered to be part of either one or both of the events. Buoyed by our success, we once again hosted twin programs on April 14 and 15, 1998, and then on April 13 and 14, 1999, and April 11 and 12, 2000. We are currently in our tenth year of planning Pathways and have two new programs scheduled for April 15 and 16, 2003.

While partial funding from Boston University has already been secured, we are seeking the balance from local businesses, corporations and foundations. In the past, contributions from outside sources have provided us with the funds to be able to continue our program and have made it possible for us to expand the program to meet the growing demand.

We are extremely grateful to those who have funded us in the past and hope for their continued support. We are also seeking new sources of funding to ensure both the continuation of this program and the development of new ideas such as a speakers bureau and a mentoring program. Past contributions have ranged anywhere from $500 to $5,000.

We also encourage female scientists and engineers from sponsoring organizations to participate in our program. We welcome their direct involvement and feel that, with their participation, we are able to offer a more diverse program and a more accurate depiction of careers in the fields of science, engineering and mathematics.

I hope you will explore our website to learn more about our past programs and the reactions of the participants. All of us who organize Pathways enjoy it immensely. Moreover, we feel it is vital to provide positive reinforcement to young women about careers in science and technology. Those who attend leave better informed and more confident about entering these fields. I hope you will consider supporting our efforts. Should you like more information, please contact:

• Elizabeth Simmons (617/353-4792; simmons@bu.edu) or
• Cynthia Brossman (617/353-7021; cab@bu.edu).

For a listing of past program highlights, click here or to read some of our glowing reviews, click here.