At ECS Group of Companies, we believe that shaping a stronger future starts with inspiring the next generation of innovators. This fall, ECS is proud to partner with STEM for Her for the 2025 Day of STEM Challenge, an interactive event designed to empower young women to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
Hosted at the Carahsoft building in Reston, Virginia, the Day of STEM Challenge brought together more than 80 high school students for a day of collaboration, creativity and discovery. Students competed in small teams, solved real-world challenges and connected with engineers and STEM professionals — including many women who are shaping the industry today.
Building bridges — literally and figuratively
Representing ECS, Vice President and Principal Engineer Alexis Herr, PE, and Vice President and Office Manager Joe Meiburger, PE, PG, led an interactive geotechnical engineering activity known as Under Pressure: STEM Foundations.
Originally developed by the Geoprofessional Business Association (GBA), the exercise introduces participants to the fundamentals of soil mechanics and slope stability using kinetic sand. For this year’s event, ECS adapted the kit into a competition-style challenge, tasking teams of students to value engineer cost-effective solutions to stabilize toy bridge foundations using assigned material costs. The activity encouraged complex problem solving and teamwork, reflecting ECS’s own core values to Collaborate. Focus. Lead.
“High schoolers often get exposure to structural or computer engineering, but not geotechnical engineering,” said Alexis Herr, P.E. “This challenge is a great way to introduce them to a field that is important — and growing.”
Engineering change through mentorship
Beyond the technical challenge, the Day of Engineering event underscores the importance of mentorship and representation in STEM. For many students, this was their first opportunity to meet female engineers and hear firsthand how passion and persistence can lead to rewarding careers in science and engineering.
“In high school, exposure to STEM careers was rare,” Herr reflected. “Programs like this would have been invaluable to so many girls of my generation. I can only credit my mom for putting me on a STEM path that wasn’t widely encouraged at the time.”
Through partnerships like STEM for Her, ECS continues to demonstrate its commitment to corporate social responsibility, advancing STEM education, and promoting gender equity within the engineering industry.
ECS: living our core values
At ECS, our foundation is built on three key values — Collaborate, Focus and Lead — and the Day of Engineering Challenge exemplifies each one:
- Collaborate – ECS team members worked alongside STEM for Her and industry partners like Boeing and GHD to engage students in hands-on learning and mentorship.
- Focus – The activity reinforced ECS’s mission to strengthen understanding of geotechnical principles, encouraging students to think strategically about engineering solutions.
- Lead – By modeling professionalism and inclusion, ECS leaders are inspiring future engineers to step confidently into spaces where their ideas and leadership are needed most.
These values drive our project work and guide our responsibility to the communities we serve.
A foundation for the future
The collaboration with STEM for Her aligns closely with the mission of the ECS Foundation, which supports educational initiatives that foster curiosity, problem-solving and technical discovery. From hosting community outreach events to investing in STEM partnerships, the Foundation helps create opportunities for students to connect classroom learning to real-world impact.
By participating in the Day of Engineering Challenge, ECS reaffirms that while engineering certainly involves designing structures, it’s also about building opportunities, bridging gaps and investing in people.
About STEM for Her
The STEM for Her Mission is to promote education to create awareness, excitement and opportunities among girls and young women to launch successful STEM-related careers. Through direct exposure to hands-on experiences, mentors and role models and other programs, STEM for Her enables girls and young women to envision the path to an education and a career in STEM. We develop our own programs and partner with female leaders, community organizations and corporations with a strong focus on the underserved populations in the Washington, DC Metro Area.
About ECS
ECS Group of Companies (ECS) was founded in 1988 with the goal to raise the standards of professional engineering consulting. Today, we are a leader in geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities consulting services. We are employee-owned with more than 2,900 employees in 100+ offices and testing facilities coast to coast. ECS is currently ranked #66 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms (April 2025), #148 in Engineering News-Record’s Top 200 Environmental Firms (October2025) and #50 in Zweig Group’s Hot Firm List (May 2025). For additional information about ECS, visit: www.ecslimited.com.
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