Bucks County, PA – Rapid growth and high demand are driving the need for more volunteer presenters to host sessions at the #girlSTEM Conference in May. The conference, presented by PECO, serves over 800 young women from all across Bucks County.
The #girlSTEM Conference will take place on May 24, 2018 at Delaware Valley University. It is designed to inspire girls in grades 6 – 10 to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 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 who they can be.
In 2017, over 800 girls representing every community in Bucks County attended the conference. As a result of attending #girlSTEM 2017, 95% of girls felt motivated to do well in school, 96% of girls felt engaged in their own learning and 93% of girls said #girlSTEM helped them plan ahead, make career choices, and feel optimistic about their future.
Organizers at United Way of Bucks County and the Bucks County Intermediate Unit note that volunteer presenters are critical to the continued success of the program.
According to Dr. Lindsey Sides, the Intermediate Unit’s Supervisor of STEAM Education, the challenge will be having enough high-quality presenters on-site that day.
“We need at least 20 to 25 presenters per session, though hopefully some volunteers will stay for more than one session,” said Dr. Sides.
Dr. 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 2, 2018. Session proposals will be reviewed on an ongoing basis; presenters are encouraged to submit an application as early as possible.
“With over 800 girls this year, it is absolutely necessary to have enough presenters, and enough information about each of their sessions, by early April,” said Dr. Sides.
How to Volunteer:
Women interested in volunteering as presenters can submit proposals at http://bit.ly/girlSTEM2018. Sessions should be designed to be interactive, hands-on, and informative. The deadline to volunteer as a presenter is April 2, 2018. Questions about presenting at #girlSTEM should be directed to Dr. Lindsey Sides at lsides@bucksiu.org.
#girlSTEM Sponsors:
The 2018 #girlSTEM Conference is funded by PECO (Presenting Sponsor); Dominion Energy (Gold Sponsor); Parx Casino (Silver Sponsor); BB&T, Harrisburg University of Science & Technology, Comcast, Langan, and St. Mary Medical Center (Bronze Sponsors). Sponsors are still needed for #girlSTEM. If you want to inspire young women to excel in STEM and to pursue STEM careers, contact Katie Matarazzo at United Way of Bucks County for sponsorship opportunities at katiem@uwbucks.org or 215-949-1660 ext 101.