Presentations, panels, informational displays, and demonstrations integrate both threads of the conference. The audience will include high school girls from the Bay Area, science and engineering faculty from northern California universities, and others. It will also bring attention to the impact of technology and environmental issues on the lives of women and society. The audience will include practicing scientists, engineers, advocates, and students. In May 1997 the Cornell Interactive Theatre Ensemble and the Purdue University Campus Climate Workshop Group hosted an Interactive Theatre Institute focused on Human Relations Training in Engineering Education.
Interactive theatre is a powerful medium for human relations training.
Dramatic scenarios and facilitated follow-up discussions serve to stimulate the participants' exploration of the impact of interpersonal communications. By casting the audience in the role of participant-observer, its members can experience vividly a problematic encounter between human beings and then explore the implications of their own attitudes, beliefs and actions. Examples of how interactive theatre can be used in training engineering faculty, teaching assistants and staff to be more effective both in and out of the classroom was presented. The scenarios emphasized gender issues. The objective of the meeting was to share information about materials available to increase awareness about engineering among girls, their parents and educators and to obtain the commitment of the organizations involved that they will actively recruit members to get involved in this new initiative.