Council Jr High Girls Explore STEM at TechGirlz
Council Jr/Sr High School teacher, Valerie Armichardy, recently took the 7th and 8th grade girls to a convention in Boise. TechGirlz, the convention they attended is described as a “hands-on STEM explorer day”. It is especially designed for girls of this age to help them become more interested in STEM careers. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. There is a disproportionately low number of girls in this field, and the aim of this convention is to change that. The TechGirlz website says, “Our vision is to create a world where girls have a lifelong passion and confidence in their use of technology throughout their careers.” Valerie Armichardy, the science teacher, explained, “There is a big push in higher education to get more girls to enter the STEM workforce. Historically, girls were not encouraged to pursue careers in STEM but the industry has suffered for it because of the variety of innate traits women can bring to the table such as creativity, communication and problem solving skills.
This was a fantastic opportunity for the girls to experience the variety of careers and benefits of STEM.”
The Jr High girls had a great time at the convention, making new friends and learning about and experimenting with STEM. Rylee Hatfield, a 7th grader said, “The thing I liked most about the trip was the teamwork and the way everyone was so welcoming and made it an amazing environment.“ A large part of the convention was the Tech Challenge, where groups of girls worked together to solve a problem, promoting teamwork and problem-solving skills. Then the students attended workshop classes of their choice. Susan Mendenhall, an 8th grader exclaimed, “I got to do a yoga and sound bathing session. It was really cool!” A sound bath is where you listen to relaxing sounds and create a vision for your future self.
The conference was a great opportunity for the girls to learn about STEM careers without feeling peer pressure. Mrs. Armichardy commented, “Often girls of that age are intimidated by the boys in their class and don’t speak up or are afraid to show interest. This event allowed them the freedom to be themselves, meet new people and learn new skills without some of the social pressures they feel in the classroom. I loved seeing the girls participate in the engineering challenge, engage with peers from other schools and learn new things. My hope is that events like this will open their eyes to the options available to them and build their self confidence so that they will follow their dreams, whether they involve science or not.”
The Jr High girls learned a lot and really enjoyed themselves on this unique field trip. Council High School girls are excited about the possibility of attending a similar convention in January. Seeing the Jr High girls so excited made them all really want to go to one as well.
