Web

The University of Central Arkansas STEM Institute hosted the STEM Leadership for Girls Conference Wednesday, March 8, which began at 8 a.m. in Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center on the campus.

Girls from high schools in central Arkansas such as Conway, Vilonia, Bigelow and Mayflower attended the event that featured a keynote address from Ark. Lt. Gov. Tim Griffin.

There were six workshop sessions going on throughout the day, and each girl attended three sessions based on an interest survey that they completed prior to arrival. The sessions offered will be Geology, Genetics Counseling, Endocrinology, FBI – Evidence Recovery Team, Computer Science (afternoon only), and Nursing (nursing SIM lab in UCA nursing department). Our hope is to expose the girls to STEM careers and to encourage them to pursue jobs in STEM.

The goal of the conference was to expose the girls to STEM careers and to encourage them to pursue jobs in STEM.

Lt. Governor Tim Griffin was among the speakers to the girls attending the third annual STEM Leadership for Girls Day event.

The welcome began at 8:20 a.m., which included UCA’s very own Christina Madsen, Lt. Governor Tim Griffin, and representatives from Wal-Mart who will be speaking about Million Women Mentors.

Representatives in STEM fields from Arkansas businesses and organizations such as Acxiom, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the FBI also hosted learning sessions throughout the day.

Anna Beth Gorman, a representative for Million Women Mentors of Arkansas, spoke to the girls to kick off the day’s events.

Attendees learned more about the Million Women Mentors initiative, which supports the engagement of one million STEM mentors to increase the interest and confidence of girls and women to persist and succeed in STEM programs and careers.

For more information about the STEM Leadership for Girls, visit their website.