Interactive Workshop and Career Expo Brings STEM, Industry to Middle School Girls

Dec. 6, 2011 - PRLog -- Providence, RI – December 2nd, 2011 – Ninety female middle school students and eight educators from Providence’s Sophia Academy and TIMES2 Academy today attended Tech Collective’s STEM in the Middle girls career expo. The expo was hosted by the Rhode Island STEM Center at Rhode Island College, with the University of Rhode Island’s SMILE Program as the expo’s Workshop Partner and Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems as its Corporate Partner.

STEM in the Middle aims to raise girls’ awareness and participation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields at the middle school level through a day of hands-on interactive workshops designed and delivered by female industry professionals and faculty.

Students attended two of the expo’s 10 workshops focusing on topics such as: biotechnology and DNA, mathematics, computer repair, science, electronics, engineering, and multimedia. They were then able to ask questions and gain real-world insight during a lunch session with 15 industry and faculty facilitators from companies and organizations including: Amgen, Moran Shipping Agencies, Inc., the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Rhode Island College, and the SMILE Program.

"As a leading technology company, math and science are at the core of our business, and we value the role we can play in encouraging students to excel in these subjects and pursue technical careers," said Tom Kennedy, president of Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "Through programs like 'STEM in the Middle' and Raytheon's MathMovesU, our talented and enthusiastic employee volunteers are giving back to our community and helping to inspire the scientists and engineers of the future."

Connecting at a Young Age -
In the arena of STEM awareness, engagement, and eventual career pursual, educators and industry commonly agree that students need to be exposed to STEM at a young age. Middle school age is often recognized as a turning point, where peer and education pressures begin  to increase with adolescence, and students – particularly girls – can shy away from STEM due to gender stereotypes or a lack of awareness and perceived opportunities.

A recent report supported by Dell, Intel, and the Center for Digital Education, Engaging the STEM Intermediate Student with Technology, cites a study from ACT stating “the level of academic achievement that students attain by eighth grade has a larger impact on their college and career readiness by the time they graduate from high school than anything that actually happens academically in high school” – A worrisome proposition considering STEM testing continues to show underperformance, and STEM higher education enrollment has declined nationwide.

All of the contributors of the STEM in the Middle Expo have worked to bridge this gap throughout the years. For Tech Collective, one example is its annual GRRL Tech Interactive Technology Expo, which aims to break down gender myths and engage female students in STEM at the high school level – and also served as the model for STEM in the Middle. While GRRL Tech has been widely successful – with more than 3,000 girls participating in the event since its creation 12 years ago – it has also come too late in some cases, as junior and senior students have already chosen career and continuing education paths. This is where STEM in the Middle can begin critical awareness and participation work earlier.

“As we continue to move towards a services and technology -oriented society, it is vital we simultaneously grow our workforce to meet that demand,” said JoAnn Johnson, manager of youth and education programs for Tech Collective. “And we need to do it at a young age. Bringing industry and academia together – as we are here today with STEM in the Middle – is an engaging and energizing way to give students a real-world feel for STEM as well as explore the many dynamic career paths they may follow in it.”

Collaboration is Key -
STEM in the Middle received its initial endorsement and funding from the Governor’s Workforce Board of Rhode Island’s Industry Partnership Grant. Leveraging that support, Tech Collective and the SMILE Program applied for and received a $1,000 mini-grant from the collaborative organization, the Southern New England Girls Collaborative Project (SNEGCP) – an affiliate of the National Girls Collaborative Project which brings together girl-serving organizations in RI and Mass to leverage resources, information, and funding to increase the outreach and impact of STEM-related opportunities for girls.

“The URI Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) Program is proud to partner with Tech Collective to offer an enriching and inspiring STEM event for middle school girls,” said Carol Englander, Program Director for SMILE. “This partnership has allowed us to create high quality opportunities for girls as well as showcase to them female role models in the STEM fields. It is only through these opportunities that girls will gain the awareness and confidence that they need to pursue and be successful in STEM fields.”

The RI STEM Center next became a natural outreach as a leading STEM resource and learning center for educators and students alike.

“One vehicle through which the RI STEM Center actualizes its vision of improving the quality of STEM education in Rhode Island is collaborating with other stakeholders who provide programming that supports interest in STEM careers,” said Mary Sullivan, Ed. D., director of the Rhode Island STEM Center at Rhode Island College. “With projected growth in STEM positions, we want young women to know about the variety of careers in STEM fields and have hands-on opportunities to experience some possibilities. We are delighted to partner with Tech Collective, Raytheon, and the SMILE Program, as well as to host the STEM in the Middle Career Expo here at Rhode Island College.”
____________________
Learn More:
The Rhode Island STEM Center at Rhode Island College - www.ric.edu/stemcenter.

The University of Rhode Island Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences (SMILE) Program - www.uri.edu/smile.

Raytheon - www.raytheon.com / Twitter - @raytheon.

Tech Collective - www.tech-collective.org / Facebook - TechCollectiveRI / Twitter - @Tech_Collective