About SWE

The Society of Women Engineers

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE), founded in 1950, is a not-for-profit educational and service organization that empowers women to succeed and advance in engineering and be recognized for their life-changing contributions as engineers and leaders. SWE is the driving force that establishes engineering as a highly desirable career for women through an exciting array of training and development programs, networking opportunities, scholarships alongside outreach and advocacy activities. It consists of women and men who are graduate engineers as well as those with equivalent engineering experience and/or those interested in supporting SWE’s mission. SWE empowers women to succeed and advance in those aspirations and be recognized for their life changing contributions and achievements as engineers and leaders. SWE originated when small groups of women engineers and women engineering students began meeting independently in Boston, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, DC. Nearly 50 women from these groups came together on May 27, 1950, in New Jersey at Green Engineering Camp of the Cooper Union and formed the Society of Women Engineers.

SWE’s Mission:

Empower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders; expand the image of the engineering and technology professionals as a positive force in improving the quality of life and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion.

• SWE will raise awareness of the transformative work engineers engage in, provide solutions to problems, and improve the quality of life.
• SWE will be a prime facilitator for creating personal relationships, support systems, and networking between women in engineering and technology.
• SWE members will show females of all ages that engineers work to solve real-world problems and improve the quality of life.
• SWE will be a driving force for promoting diverse workforce and inclusion of all STEM professions

Smoky Mountain SWE Mission: The Smoky Mountain Section provides women with the opportunity to learn about and experience the exciting world of engineering through a variety of programs.

Smoky Mountain Section’s mission is to inform the community of opportunities open to women in engineering and to encourage women to enter and grow in engineering and the sciences.

SWE’s Objectives

Inform young women, their parents, counselors, and the general public, of the qualifications and achievements of women engineers and the opportunities open to them.

Assist women in readying themselves for a return to active work after temporary retirement.

Serve as a center of information on women in engineering.

Encourage women engineers to attain high levels of education and professional achievement.

SWE’s Key Issues

Education and Outreach: The technical professions will benefit, and the quality of life will be enhanced by more women of all backgrounds pursuing the profession of engineering.

Inclusive Organization: SWE will be an inclusive organization focused on issues of interest to women of all backgrounds in engineering and technical careers.

Knowledge Source: SWE will be a worldwide leader and preferred partner in the creation and advancement of information about women in technical careers.

Professional Leadership: Women will be acknowledged as demonstrating the skills required to be effective leaders in a global marketplace.

Value and Benefit: SWE programs and services across the organization will provide value and benefit and meet the diverse and changing needs of Society members and stakeholders.

For information on SWE sections in other areas, check the SWE headquarters website at www.swe.org.