On Saturday, elementary and middle school students will converge at UT to learn about science and engineering.

The Women in Engineering Program will host the event, called Girl Day, as part of UT’s Engineering Week. The event seeks to introduce young elementary and middle school students to explore science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM fields, focusing on engineering.

Organizers expect over 8,000 students, both boys and girls, to attend the event, which will feature volunteers from more than 150 student organizations, community organizations and companies.

Susan Ward, chemical engineering freshman and a member of the Women in Engineering Program, said Girl Day is a good opportunity to allow young students to get a sense of what working in STEM is like.

“The activities that the elementary and middle schoolers will participate in are engaging and thought-provoking,” she said. “Which is exactly why I think Girl Day will showcase the best of what STEM, a growing industry, has to offer.”

JoAnna Boy, mechanical engineering junior, is the president of the UT branch of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Boy said every year the society builds a Rube Goldberg machine, a contraption that carries out a simplified task through a series of intricate chain reactions, that they show off during Girl Day.

“(The Rube Goldberg machine) is fun because the kids get to start it and see how it ends,” Boy said. “We talk to (the kids) about things that they might already have learned or are learning in school, so we get them thinking about the different simple machines that are part of the Rube Goldberg. We might ask them to identify pulleys, levers or screws that are part of the machine.”

Ward said inclusivity in engineering is necessary and crucial to expand the field to its fullest potential.

“A lot of times I see people get discouraged about the field because it seems intimidating,” Ward said. “But the engineering field is made up of everyday people who feel like they’re capable of creating or being a part something that’ll make a positive impact. I think Girl Day is a good way to show people just how accessible the field of STEM is.”

Boy said that she admires the creativity each organization’s activities bring to Girl Day. She added that one of her favorite parts of Girl Day is seeing the excitement on the younger students’ faces.

“It’s amazing to me to see all the kids get excited and being able to introduce them to things that they might not see outside of a university is really cool,” Boy said. “In college, you don’t really get to see a lot of kids and just seeing the energy that these kids have makes me feel energetic, too.”

The event will take place Feb. 25 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on UT’s campus.