Arkansas STEM Coalition To Host Conferences For High School Girls
by March 25, 2015 7:06 pm 237 views
A series of one-day conferences over the next two months will seek to promote STEM careers for young girls.
The Arkansas STEM Coalition, working with the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the Arkansas Department of Career Education, recently received a $76,000 award from the Carl D. Perkins Technical Education Act of 2006 to support the conferences.
The eleven STEM Leadership for Girls Conferences will be used to promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.
The purpose of the grant funding is to improve STEM opportunities and services to Arkansas female students, especially in 10th through 12th grades as well as the first two years of college.
Supporters of the initiative have said the conferences will also help to reduce the stereotype that the fields are mainly for males. This program hopes to encourage young females to pursue collegiate careers in STEM related occupations.
Only girls in these grades may participate.
The conferences will include STEM activities for 50 or more girls in a workshop format.
The students will be able to learn topics like robotics, coding, engineering design, space science, nanoscience, chemical reactions, and 3-D visualization.
The students may also take a tour of STEM facilities and STEM programs offered at the college.
The schedule for the workshops include:
· Arkansas State University at Jonesboro and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff – April 11.
· University of Arkansas at Monticello – April 21.
· University of Arkansas at Fort Smith – April 24.
· Arkansas Tech at Russellville – April 25.
· East Arkansas Community College at Forrest City, Harding University at Searcy, Henderson State University in Arkadelphia and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville – April 25.
· Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia – May 2.
· University of Central Arkansas at Conway – May 22.
Interested girls should go to the Arkansas STEM Coalition website to find the nearest STEM Center university and contact information about how to register.
Information on the conferences can also be obtained by contacting Suzanne Mitchell, Executive Director of the Arkansas STEM Coalition, by email at [email protected].