Engineering
Women Engineers Remake “Green” Room at Shelter
The Boise State student section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) recently teamed with a variety of community partners to make over a room in the Women’s and Children’s Alliance (WCA) shelter by applying green, environmentally friendly design principles.
The WCA in Boise provides safe shelter, education, opportunity, and hope to those escaping the trauma of domestic and sexual violence. Society of Women Engineers is a nonprofit organization that provides education support, professional development and outreach activities.
"We wanted to create an environmentally safe room that supports the WCA’s mission of providing a safe haven,” said Patricia Pyke, engineering education research director at Boise State University and the SWE project leader for the room makeover. “People might think that SWE professional women, students and scientists are immune from domestic violence, but we know that domestic and sexual violence affects women of all backgrounds and professions.”
The Boise State group teamed with the SWE Southwest Idaho section, and other friends, alumni and others on the project in February.
“I was very excited to be a part of this project,” said Beth Cook, an electrical engineering graduate student at Boise State. “I see the importance of using non-toxic materials not only for the environmental and health impact but as a symbol for the opportunity of a fresh start these families will encounter.”
The project participants said it was easy going green.
“The new ‘green room’ at our shelter is beautiful, peaceful, and calm, an environment many of the WCA’s clients have never lived in," said Jaimie Cain, residential operations manager at the WCA. "I was honored to offer this space to the next resident who moved in and am hopeful that more green rooms will be created at the WCA.”