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West Palm Beach, Florida, November 19, 2015– On Saturday,
November 14th, 2015, the Women’s Foundation of
Palm Beach County hosted their 6th annual Girls
Leadership Institute (GLI) with a focus on STEM at The
Scripps Research Institute. Approximately 130 girls in sixth
through tenth grades were selected out of over 300 nominated
to participate in the program.
“Our future depends on how well we educate
the next generation in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics - and especially young women.” Said Laura
Niedernhofer, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, The Scripps
Research Institute. “If we truly want the world to be a
better place, then we need to invest in STEM education to
drive discoveries that improve our health, security and
economy. And we need to include young women in every step of
this fun discovery process.”
The day began with a STEM fair where participants met local
women and men with a career in STEM. Afterwards the girls
were split up into ten groups, each working with a mentor(s)
on a specific project designed to give the girls a hands on
approach to what it’s like to work on a STEM project. During
one session, the girls built an arm prosthetics from
household items under the tutelage of the School District of
Palm Beach County, where they learned the importance of
adapting their design. All of the community partners
coordinated an amazing project for the girls to work on.
“The FAU team was
honored to participate because of the importance of
providing mentors excited to share their passion for science
with the girls.” said Donna Chamely-Wiik, Ph.D.Associate
Scientist, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at FAU.
“You never know where a student’s curiosity will be peaked
and who will inspire them to pursue a career in STEM.”
During lunch, the girls participated in a speed mentoring
session where they were able to ask questions and engage in
conversations with women in STEM fields. Another breakout
session included the business and marketing aspects of STEM.
Each group created a new product idea and generated a
marketing plan describing how they would bring their product
to market and build a customer base. The day concluded with
each group presenting their products and marketing campaign
to the entire group
Sponsors of the 2015 Girls Leadership Institute include:
The Scripps Research Institute, FPL, 4H, Max Planck Florida
Institute for Neuroscience, Lion Country Safari, NCBW 100,
Keiser University, Palm Beach Code School, Florida Atlantic
University, the School District of Palm Beach County, Bright
Girls, Legal Graphicworks and Taz Bots.
If you would like more information about Girls Leadership
Institute or The Women’s Foundation of Palm Beach County,
please contact Judith Selzer at 561-909-8415 or email at
Judith@womensfoundationpbc.org .
The Women’s Foundation of Palm Beach County is a
nonprofit that invests in women and girls to encourage
leadership and positively affect their economic, political
and social status. For more information, please visit
www.womensfoundationpbc.org. |