Conference to Address STEM Opportunities for Kentucky Girls
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Sept. 19, 2012) — Kentucky educators and others interested in helping girls succeed in math and science will convene a conference next month to explore new opportunities and to share strategies for overcoming roadblocks.
The Kentucky Girls STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Collaborative, in partnership with The Center for Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University, will hold its fourth annual conference, "Collaboration: The Key to Successful Programming for Girls in STEM," on Friday, Oct. 12, at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.
Educators, counselors, business and community leaders, parents and girls are invited to come meet others with a strong desire to see girls discover opportunities available to them within the STEM fields. Conference attendees will explore up-and-coming career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math and learn proactive steps to help girls overcome roadblocks to their success in these fields.
Keynote speakers include Claudia Rawn, faculty in the University of Tennessee, Department of Material Science and Engineering; Brian Mefford, founder and chairperson of Connected Nation; and Ron Crouch, director of research and statistics for the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet. For girls attending the conference, young women in STEM fields will share their strategies for success.
Exhibitors from prominent Kentucky industries as well as girl-serving organizations and programs will be available to meet with conference attendees. Lunch will be provided on-site.
The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative will also host a "Girls STEM Day," in partnership with Western Kentucky University's Ogden College of Science and Engineering and the SKyTeach Program, from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, on the WKU campus. Registration is $5 per student and includes a pizza lunch. Girls in grades 5-8 are welcomed to join for an afternoon of hands-on, minds-on exploration into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Female STEM practitioners and educators will lead girls through activities that mirror real-world STEM tasks and highlight creative and innovative problem solving. Participants will also learn how to best prepare themselves to study STEM fields in high school and college.
Please visit www.kygirlsstem.com/ProgramsEvents/AnnualConference2012.html for more information and to register for the conference and Girls STEM Day. Registration for the conference is $25 per person, $10 of which will go toward sponsoring future Kentucky Girls STEM events. On-site registration and check-in for the conference begins at 8:30 a.m. Welcome begins at 9 a.m. Professional development credit is offered for all teachers, and EILI credit for school administrators and counselors.
A flyer for the conference is available for download as a PDF.
MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Hautala, (859) 323-2396; keith.hautala@uky.edu