On Saturday, Nov. 14, the Women’s Foundation of Palm Beach County hosted its sixth annual Girls Leadership Institute with a focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) at the Scripps Research Institute. About 130 girls in sixth through 10th grades were selected out of over 300 nominated to participate in the program.
“Our future depends on how well we educate the next generation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics — and especially young women,” said Dr. Laura Niedernhofer, associate professor with the Scripps Research Institute. “If we truly want the world to be a better place, then we need to invest in STEM education to drive discoveries that improve our health, security and economy. And we need to include young women in every step of this fun discovery process.”
The day began with a STEM fair where participants met local women and men with a career in STEM. Afterward the girls were split up into 10 groups, each working with a mentor on a specific project designed to give the girls a hands-on approach to what it’s like to work on a STEM project.
During lunch, the girls participated in a speed mentoring session where they were able to ask questions and engage in conversations with women in STEM fields.
Another breakout session included the business and marketing aspects of STEM. Each group created a new product idea and generated a marketing plan describing how they would bring their product to market and build a customer base.
The day concluded with each group presenting their products and marketing campaign to the entire group.
Event sponsors included: the Scripps Research Institute, FPL, 4H, the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Lion Country Safari, NCBW 100, Keiser University, the Palm Beach Code School, Florida Atlantic University, the School District of Palm Beach County, Bright Girls, Legal Graphicworks and Taz Bots.
For more information about the Girls Leadership Institute or the Women’s Foundation of Palm Beach County, call Judith Selzer at (561) 909-8415 or e-mail judith@womensfoundationpbc.org.
Visit www.womensfoundationpbc.org to learn more about the Women’s Foundation of Palm Beach County.
ABOVE: Participants at the Girls Leadership Institute.
