Gadgets, Gizmos, and Gigabytes: Classrooms of the 21st Century, Cell-A-Bration, Dazzling Databases, "Sparkling" with Chemistry, DNA Detectives, and The Science of Color in Cosmetics are just a few of the workshops being offered this year during the 16th annual program to encourage young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) on Friday, May 11 at Penn State York. Pathways to Your Future: Exploring STEM Careers begins at 8:45 a.m. in the Conference Center of the Main Classroom Building on campus. Registration begins at 8 a.m.
Seventh grade girls, their teachers, and some parents representing 26 schools (public, private, charter, and cyber) will take part in this career awareness program. Some 315 people (students, parents, and teachers) will be participating in the free program. (more)
Middle and high school students will be able to learn about engineering, science, and information sciences and technology on Saturday, March 3, at Penn State York's "Explore the Worlds" event. The program will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will offer hands-on activities. A series of workshops for parents about choosing a college and paying for college also will be offered throughout the day. Registration is free, and complimentary lunch will be served. (more)
Penn State York is continuing to offer the Chancellor's Honor Certificate in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), designed to provide students with the skills they need for jobs in the 21st century. Studies have shown that the demand for students with STEM degrees continues to grow. The certificate is designed for high school students taking part in the dual enrollment program.
Through dual enrollment, high school students can earn college credit while still in high school. A variety of courses are available at the campus for dual enrollment and courses toward the STEM certificate are included. High school juniors and seniors with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 and qualifying Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores are eligible to take part in the program. (more)
Women with careers in the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (collectively referred to as the STEM fields) have greater job security and higher incomes than women in other occupations -- 33 percent higher, according to the U.S. Commerce Department's Economics and Statistics Administration. Yet women hold only a quarter of these lucrative jobs.
For 15 years, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, has been encouraging early exploration of the STEM fields through its Math Options Career Day. During the annual daylong event, 250 seventh- and eighth-grade girls from 40 schools in rural northwestern Pennsylvania are invited to the college to build motors, design bridges and conduct experiments in hands-on workshops taught by faculty members and STEM professionals from the Erie area. (more)
Karen A. Thole, department head in mechanical and nuclear engineering at Penn State, will be highlighted by the White House Champions of Change program Friday, Dec. 9, in Washington, D.C., for her work in helping to recruit and retain women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The event will be broadcast live at www.whitehouse.gov/live at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Thole will be recognized along with 11 other Champions, including teachers, industry leaders, students and nonprofit leaders who have each taken great strides to reduce the barriers that drive many girls and women to turn away from high-paying, highly rewarding careers as the nation's top innovators. (more)
Penn State Beaver will host a meeting of the Beaver County Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education Advocacy Coalition, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 16, room 16, Student Union Building. The program is free and open to the public.
The evening's topic is "Proven Strategies to Compete in Regional and International Science Fairs." Guest speakers are Lisa Kosick, director of the Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair, and Karen DeMarco, a science teacher for the Ambridge Area School District. (more)
While the information technology field is growing rapidly, the female representation in those professions is still relatively small. Many girls, while growing up, do not feel inspired to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
For the past eight years, the College of Information Sciences and Technology has been sharing its resources with middle school girls in an effort to spark interest in STEM careers. This year's Tech Savvy Camp for Girls, a free camp that is designed to build foundation skills in computing as well as supporting other curricula, was held June 13-17 in the IST Building on Penn State's University Park campus. Seventy-five girls in grades six to eight took classes in animation and game design, and created their own avatars and video games. The camp also featured presentations by female professionals working in the technology field. (more)
Engineering is not boring. That was just some of the advice presenters offered to seventh- and eighth-grade girls at this year's 15th annual Math Options Career Day on May 10. An outreach program hosted by Continuing Education at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, Math Options is designed to spark girls' interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. (more)
Bethany Snyder of Thomasville, Pa., was just 13-years-old when she attended Pathways to Your Future: Exploring STEM Careers, a program to encourage young women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at Penn State York in 2003. No one is more surprised than she is that at age 20 and a science major at Penn State York, she will be helping to present one of the workshops when the 15th annual program takes place at 8:45 a.m. Friday, May 6, in the Pullo Family Performing Arts Center at the campus. Registration begins at 8 a.m.
"When I was in seventh grade myself I participated in this program; it is so nice to see it go full circle for me." Snyder was selected to attend the program back then as one of attendees from Dover Middle School. "I was naturally good at science and that's why I was one of the girls selected to attend. I wasn't always interested in science but the program was exciting and I remember feeling very special to be on a college campus for a day when I was in seventh grade." (more)
The Penn State Beaver Office of Continuing Education will offer four summer camps related to the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiative. The nation-wide emphasis on STEM is designed to provide children and adults with an increased understanding of career and development opportunities in the science and math fields. To register for STEM-related camps or to obtain a complete listing of this summer's academic and sports camps, contact the Office of Continuing Education at BeaverCE@psu.edu or 724-773-3700, or visit www.beaver.psu.edu. (more)
