Girlstart Announces Lineup for 9th Annual Girls in Stem Conference on April 12

ALLOWING MORE THAN 500 GIRLS TO ENGAGE WITH WOMEN WORKING IN STEM CAREERS

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR 9TH ANNUAL GIRLS IN STEMCONFERENCE ON APRIL 12, ALLOWING MORE THAN 500 GIRLS TO ENGAGE WITH WOMEN WORKING IN STEM CAREERS

(AUSTIN) – Imagine you’re a fifth-grade girl who loves math and science, wondering if there’s a way to use those skills when you grow up. Then, imagine over the source of a single day, you can perform DNA isolation on strawberries, create an adhesive similar to what’s used in tape, and build a city out of candy – with the guidance of Austin-area women who get to do these sorts of things for a living.

Thanks to the Girls in STEM conference, a great number of Austin-area girls can get glimpses of what STEM careers to pursue from professionals who do so on a daily basis.

Now in its 9th year, the Girls in STEM Conference – coming to Travis High School (1211 E. Oltorf) on Saturday, April 12 – will show more than 500 Austin-area girls how they can utilize STEM education in a range of professional settings. The conference, hosted by Girlstart, is one on the non-profit organization’s longest- running programs, specifically geared toward Girlstart’s mission of inspiring girls to pursue STEM careers.

The Girls in STEM Conference involves 20 presenters who work professionally in STEM careers, leading hands-on workshops that teach STEM precepts and showcase what kinds of careers are available for college students completing STEM studies.

“The Girls In STEM Conference gives us the opportunity to allow girls to see first- hand what careers are possible through STEM,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director of Girlstart. “The workshops are fun and engaging in the moment, and yet they help girls to think about what they’ll be what they grow up, and how to prepare for those possibilities at a time when it’s crucial that girls keep engaged with STEM.”

The 9th edition of the conference is one of Girlstart’s first major educational projects for 2014; Girlstart is also planning an expanded slate of summer camps this year (including making its debuts in several cities), and continued growth of its DeSTEMber program, a month-long series of daily online activities designed to keep students engaged with STEM education leading up and during the winter holiday.

Girlstart highlights from last year include the launch of its inaugural Women in STEM Awards, honoring the contributions of STEM professionals in Texas; the opening of its STEM Studio and Mini-Planetarium, expanding its programming capacity for STEM education at Austin’s Girlstart STEM Center; and being named one of four exemplary STEM programs ready for nationwide implementation by Change the Equation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States.