On Nov. 6, the University hosted the 31st annual Women in STEM event for girls in sixth through eighth grade.
Attendees from all over Northwest Ohio and Detroit came to participate in this unique opportunity. This event serves to encourage interest among students to pursue a future in one or more areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, referred to collectively as STEM.
Fifty-four presenters offering hands-on STEM activities relating to life sciences were present and on hand to answer questions and encourage each young woman to reach her full potential.
Susan Sterns, one of the coordinators of the event, was thrilled at the enthusiasm the event brings out in local students.
“BGSU is great about letting us host this each year. We want girls to think about their futures and promote their interest in careers still dominated by men,” she said. “They rise to the challenge.”
Despite progress, the number of women who participate in STEM programs in college is still relatively low. According to Statistics Canada, women represent the majority of young university graduates, but are still underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and computer science fields.
According to the National Household Survey, women accounted for 39 percent of university graduates aged 25 to 34 with a STEM degree in 2011, compared with 66 percent of university graduates in non-STEM programs.
Why are the numbers so low? Women in STEM’s keynote speaker Emily Calendrelli provided the answer during her speech to students. Calendrelli, who currently hosts Fox’s Xploration Outer Space, has been passionate about getting students interested in STEM her entire life.
“When we’re young, it’s not cool to like math and science. It’s considered nerdy. Because of this, our pool of potential innovators, researchers, scientists and engineers is severely limited. If girls think that STEM isn’t for them, we are losing an opportunity. I want to show a more relatable side to STEM and help get young students to try it out because it might just be for them,” she said.
Students interested in STEM programs are encouraged to try a class based on one or more relevant programs, or talk to their academic advisors to learn more about what their school offers. For more information on events and other programs, visit cosmos.bgsu.edu.
