GirlPowered
Virtual (or Local In-Person @ Whitestown, Indiana)
9 AM Eastern
Approximately 100 attendees
Deadline to Sign Up: September 1
The goal of the Girl Powered event is to give girls the opportunity to explore STEM through fun, creative, and hands-on activities. Although the event is called Girl Powered, boys are welcome to register and participate. Participants will be able to try building, programming, robotics, engineering, and robot-driving challenges in an encouraging environment where it is okay to experiment, make mistakes, and learn something new. I want girls to see that STEM is not only about math, computers, or getting the correct answer. It also involves creativity, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, and turning ideas into something real.
As a 14-year-old girl entering high school, I understand how important it is for younger students to see other girls participating in and leading STEM activities. Some girls may be interested in robotics or technology but may not have had the opportunity, confidence, or encouragement to try it. This event is designed to make STEM feel welcoming and accessible to girls with all levels of experience, including those who have never built or programmed a robot before.
My goal is for each participant to leave the event feeling more confident in her abilities and more willing to participate in future STEM opportunities. I hope the experience encourages girls to join robotics teams, coding clubs, engineering programs, science activities, or other technology-related organizations at their schools. Even if they do not pursue a STEM career, the confidence, persistence, teamwork, and problem-solving skills they develop can benefit them in many areas of their education and lives.
The event would be open to Zionsville families as well as girls from surrounding communities, including Whitestown, Lebanon, and Carmel. Bringing students together from different schools and communities will allow participants to meet girls with similar interests, build new connections, and recognize that they are part of a larger community of girls who belong in STEM. Ultimately, I want the GirlPowered event to increase female participation in robotics, strengthen girls’ confidence and self-efficacy, and help create a more inclusive culture in which girls feel supported, represented, and excited to pursue STEM.
AstraFemina Speaker Role: We would like someone enthusiastic in the STEM field to come speak about their experience being a woman in their field of choice; what is it that they do, how does it relate to STEM, and why what they do is really cool; the challenges they have overcome; what inspired them to stay in the STEM field, and lastly offering resounding encouragement to the girls attending to stay involved with STEM.
