Back By Popular Demand, Science World To Host Highly Popular Girls and STEAM Event In Week Long Format

Back By Popular Demand: Science World To Host Highly Popular Girls and STEAM Event In Week Long Format With Keynote By Alexis Williams, Activist and Engineering Student

This free, virtual and in-demand event aims to engage youth aged 14-16 in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts & design and math) learning and boasts over 100 mentors for the girls to connect with in breakout rooms

From February 22-26, Science World will host its popular Girls & STEAM event! This FREE, action-packed week will provide engaging, future-focused opportunities for girls aged 14-16 to explore dream careers and connect with over 100 inspiring mentors and experts in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts & design, and math) from all over the world.

This year, the keynote on February 26 will be delivered by Alexis Williams, activist and student at the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University, who combined her coding skills with her passion for activism to create pb-resources.com, an anti-racism toolkit that teaches users about allyship and Black history, and encourages direct action.

“I look forward to sharing my experiences as a woman in STEM and how being a member of marginalized communities contributes to the work I do,” said Alexis Williams, Girls & STEAM keynote speaker on February 26. “Sharing the importance of applying your skills and privilege toward supporting communities and topics you are passionate about is something I really hope comes across in my keynote speech. I look forward to inspiring this group and know I’ll be inspired by their hard work and drive as well.”

This is the fifth year of Girls and STEAM, and this year’s format has a new spin with mentorship events on Tuesday and Thursday and a keynote event on Saturday. Science World has expanded this event due to the demand for more events that support and nurture the development of girls and women in STEAM careers. There are over 32 breakout rooms for the girls to attend, with over 100 mentors.

“February 11th is International Day of Girls and Women in Science, which makes February a great time to host another Girls & STEAM event,” said Tracy Redies, President and CEO of Science World. “We’ve seen firsthand the importance of diversity in STEM careers and the positive impact it can have on the lives of all girls and women. We have grown our Girls & STEAM series to more meaningfully impact the girls who attend, as we often see this as an accelerator to other Science World programs and beyond. We’re beyond thrilled to have over 100 amazing mentors available at these events to connect with the girls and inspire and nurture their curiosity.”

Schedule for Girls & STEAM events during the week:

Tuesday February 22, 5pm-7pm, PST
Thursday February 24, 5pm-7pm, PST
Saturday February 26, 9am-12pm, PST

On the 26th, participants will enjoy an exhibitor showcase, panel discussions and breakout sessions with a variety of mentors, interactive experiments and workshops with leaders in STEAM, and finish with a fully interactive online gameshow highlighting some of the many opportunities showcased at the event. There will also be a 20-minute workshop hosted by engineers and geoscientists from BGC Engineering to investigate the cause of a large landslide threatening a mountain village. In this interactive workshop, participants will help to solve the mystery and choose an engineering solution to save the village. Mentorship cafes hosted throughout the event will connect girls in the event with mentors in the fields they are interested in.

Participants are invited to learn more and register for any or all of the events at https://www.scienceworld.ca/girls-and-steam/ and the full schedule can be found here.

Girls and STEAM is made possible by the generous support of Science World’s valued partners, including: Acuitas Therapeutics, SAP, BCIT, Scotiabank, Wells Fargo, Safe Software, Kiewit, BGC Engineering, Engineers & Geoscientists of British Columbia, Best Buy, UBC School of Biomedical Engineering, Webnames.ca, Hootsuite, Traction on Demand, WildBrain Studios, Cinesite Studios, Mainframe Studios, and Engineering.com.

All mentor sessions will be available to stream after the event at youtube.com/scienceworldtv.

About Science World

Science World is a BC-based charitable organization that engages the people of British Columbia in STEAM literacy. Their mission is to ignite wonder and empower dreams through science and nature. Their vision is that within a generation, Canada will be a country of thriving, sustainable communities rooted in science, innovation and a deep connection to nature.

Media release and image provided by Larissa Dundon, The Tea.