Equity-focused EL& WIL: Where do I even begin? A gateway to getting started using Concordia University’s Institute for Co-operative Education Women in Engineering- Career Launch Experience (WIE-CLE)

Presented by: J. Lucia Plescia, Concordia University

This session will take you through the nuts and bolts of the successful Women in Engineering Career Launch Experience (WIE-CLE) mentorship-based WIL initiative from Concordia University’s Institute for Co-operative Education. The aim is to help provide you with a template and knowledge to launch your own. The session will deepen the conversation by addressing a central challenge that we have found in the research that shows that even well-meaning mentors direct women engineers into less technical, less valued roles. It’s no wonder so many women end up leaving the industry. So how does one create a mentorship program while ensuring it does not perpetuate the discrimination it set out to dismantle? These real concerns can sometimes stifle us from knowing how to move forward in our own programming. We will explore this tension through an open learning dialogue format and by reflecting on our own limitations. The outcome is to leave with concrete ideas and to feel motivated to act towards creating your own equity-focused WIL and/or EL initiatives.