Organizers of the #girlSTEM Conference were delighted when the event doubled in size last year. Now, the 2016 #girlSTEM Conference is poised to grow again – as long as local women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) professions are ready to share their passion and expertise.
The #girlSTEM Conference, which will take place on May 26, 2016, is designed to inspire middle and high school girls to pursue STEM careers. Attendees engage with and learn from professional women working in STEM related jobs. With a diverse range of fields represented – agriculture, banking, physics, nursing, marine biology, real estate, engineering, app design, and many more – girls really get a chance to see what they can be.
The conference is led and coordinated by the Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22, is sponsored by the United Way of Bucks County’s Women’s Initiative, and is being hosted by Delaware Valley University.
Although there has been high demand for the past few years, the interest in this year’s #girlSTEM Conference is unprecedented with about 800 girls planning to attend.
According to Dr. Lindsey Sides, the Intermediate Unit’s Coordinator of Teaching, Learning, and Nonpublic Services, the challenge will be having enough high-quality presenters on-site that day. “We need at least 20 – 25 presenters per session, though hopefully some volunteers will stay for more than one session,” she says.
Sides notes that the goal this year is to pre-register girls for their sessions, much like a professional conference. To get this done, all presenter information must be confirmed no later than Monday, April 4, 2016.
“With 800 girls this year, it is absolutely necessary to have enough presenters, and enough information about each of their sessions, by early April,” she says.
Marissa Christie, chief development officer at United Way of Bucks County, echoes the sentiment. “We really need more local women to volunteer this year. This is a phenomenal program. The girls love it and bring an incredible energy, but it is rewarding for the women who volunteer, too. They are shaping and inspiring the next generation by investing just 45 minutes of their time. It doesn’t get better than that,” she says.
Are you a woman working in a STEM-related career? Register to volunteer as a presenter! To sign up, please visit: http://bciu.formstack.com/forms/girlstempresenter. Questions about #girlSTEM should be directed to Dr. Lindsey Sides at lsides@bucksiu.org.