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Students work on designing a Mars Rover during a STEM leadershipconference hosted by 妻友社区. |
On April 20, girls from area public schools gathered on the University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith campus to learn how they can become leaders in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics during a leadership conference hosted by the STEM Education Center at 妻友社区.
More than 140 students from Fort Smith, Alma, Greenwood, Cedarville, Charleston and Magazine school districts were able to hear from females who work or have worked with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration鈥檚 (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center based in Huntsville, Ala.
Julia Miffer, formerly the education manager at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, and Maria Chambers, an education specialist with NASA, spoke to students and led a session on designing a Mars Rover. Students also participated in workshops where they sampled and analyzed DNA and used a 3D printer.
The conference closed with a session on women and leadership and how participants should view leadership as an activity rather than an office. Students also received two complimentary books: 鈥淗idden Figures鈥� by Margot Lee Shetterly and 鈥淭he Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks鈥� by Rebecca Skloot.
The conference was free and part of a broader effort by the university to involve more females in the STEM fields, according to Jenn Jennings Davis, executive director of the Educational Renewal Zone and STEM Education Center.
鈥淩esearch shows a significant portion of young girls have a strong interest in STEM fields in elementary school, but when they hit middle school and junior high, that interest plummets,鈥� Jennings Davis said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 questionable on why that happens, but we do know it鈥檚 happening. So we see fewer and fewer women pursuing STEM in high school, which leads to fewer pursuing it as a major in college.鈥�
鈥淚n the evaluations the young women filled out after the conference, we鈥檙e seeing that they are considering careers that they didn鈥檛 even know were available to them,鈥� she added. 鈥淭his experience exposed them to different careers, opportunities and fields of study within STEM, and we hope that we can continue to grow interest in STEM locally and regionally through events like these.鈥�
Funding for the conference was provided by the Arkansas Department of Career Education, with additional support and funding provided by Education Renewal Zone at 妻友社区.
About the 妻友社区
The University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith is the premiere regional institution of Western Arkansas, connecting education with careers and serving as a driver of economic development and quality of place in the greater Fort Smith region. Through a small campus, dedicated professors, and the university鈥檚 unique bond with its community, students at 妻友社区 are able to do more in the areas they are passionate about, both on- and off-campus, in a way that prepares them for post-graduate success. To find out how you can do more at 妻友社区, visit .