Submitted by: Lewis County Branch of American Association of University Women
On Saturday, October 20, the Lewis County Branch of American Association of University Women and the TriO Program at Centralia College will be hosting the 25th year of Expanding Your Horizons – STEM career workshops for 6th through 9th grade young women.
The event will be held at Centralia College from 7:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Twenty-two hands-on workshops will be presented by successful women mentors in such fields as technology, engineering, medicine, veterinary medicine, geo-science, accounting, dentistry and more. The girls will be able to register for workshop sessions online, at their local schools or by calling 360-623-8643. The registration fee is $10 per family, which includes all materials and snacks. The deadline to register is October 10.
The half-day conference begins with a presentation by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry entitled “Electrifying Science.” Girls will participate and learn about electrostatics, renewable energy, solar cells and the power of high voltage current.
While the girls are attending their chosen hands-on workshops, parents are encouraged to attend the tandem presentations designed to give them information regarding how to guide their daughters through the teen years. This year, in honor of the Silver Anniversary of EYH in Lewis County, Dr. Violeta Garcia, STEM Consultant for the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, will present a workshop entitled The Secret to Keeping Girls Engaged in Math and Science. Dr. Garcia is a renowned expert in helping young women attain confidence and “think like scientists.”
Expanding Your Horizons was started in 1974 by a group of women scientists and educators in the San Francisco Bay area who were concerned about the low female participation in math and science courses in public schools and universities.
In 1993 members of the Lewis County Branch of AAUW collaborated with Centralia College to launch the first Expanding Your Horizons Conference for young women in Lewis County and Washington State. Girls from the east to the west end of the county attended to learn how STEM subjects can lead to interesting and profitable careers. A parents’ workshop was held to answer questions about how to help daughters gain confidence in STEM subjects and subsequently to succeed in STEM careers. Flash ahead to the 2017 conference which drew over 300 young women from Pe Ell to Morton and Rochester to Chehalis to meet, learn and have fun!
For more information call Kathleen Vodjansky-Ward at Centralia College at 360-623-8643.
The American Association of University Women was founded in 1881 to promote equal education opportunities for women and girls. For more information about the local chapter, visit lewiscounty-wa.aauw.net or find them on Facebook.
