Programs:
Upcoming and Past Programs
As part of our ongoing mission to support women and girls in their pursuit of careers in STEM, we are delighted to announce the inaugural series of the STEM for Her Virtual Programs. Staying home to stay safe does not mean limiting learning and growing. In fact, it is the ever-expanding universe of STEM that makes virtual learning possible, so it is a natural extension for STEM for Her to offer virtual programming.
In our inaugural series, we will virtually walk alongside girls and young women as they explore STEM as an interest and possible career path. There will be three events in the first series, each mirroring the step girls take in their STEM path:
Programs
Women + Technology: Virtual Bot-a-Thon Challenge
Attendees learned about Robotics Process Automation and got to use those new RPA skills to solve a problem related to Humanitarianism, Cyber & Social Media Threats, Social Activism or Mental Health. Members of the winning team received $500 scholarships each!
- October 10, 2022
- 3:00pm – 7:00pm ET
- Virtual via Zoom
Earth Day - Climate Change and the Chesapeake Bay
Hosted by WUSA Channel 9’s Kaitlyn McGrath. Kaitlyn kicked off our program with a backstage tour of her workplace at WUSA Channel 9. She shared her STEM career path and the effect that climate change has had on her job as a meteorologist.
Kaitlyn then welcomed Dr. Beth McGee and Ilissa Ocko who discussed how climate change has impacted our local area.
Optional Earth Day Challenge – Via Instagram & Essay
Challenge: STEM for Her shipped “seedling” projects to participants of our Earth Day Challenge.
Scholarship: Those who completed the Challenge and Essay were eligible for a scholarship.
- April 22, 2022
- 4:00pm EST
- Virtual via Zoom
Putting Your STEM Degree to Use!
ARCS Foundation Metro Washington Chapter and STEM for Her hosted a Fireside Chat on Careers in STEM. Interested in what a career in STEM looks like? Curious about how you can achieve your STEM career goals? Learn how two women leaders are charting their way in STEM careers and the life lessons they are learning en route!
- November 8, 2021
- 4:30pm – 5:30pm ET
- Virtual via Zoom
Become an AWS DeepRacer: an AI-driven virtual car race with prizes for the top three racers!
Deepracer is a fully autonomous 1/18th scale race car driven by reinforcement learning, 3D racing simulator, and a global racing league. This 5 hr virtual program was run over two days. Leveraging accounts provided by AWS, this program exposed girls 14 years or older to technology and machine learning. The program culminated in a race of their AI-driven virtual car. Top placing students received prizes.
- September 22 & 23 (to participate in this program, you must attend both sessions)
- 4:15pm – 6:30pm ET
- Virtual via Zoom
Land Your Dream Job: Resume Building Workshop
Land Your Dream Job is a three-part workshop that helps high school girls and college students develop skills to obtain an internship or first job. Each participant enjoyed a ‘how-to’ presentation on the following topic and then worked in small group coaching sessions to apply what they learned.
Unanet shared best practices and coached high school girls and college women on writing a professional resume.
- September 27, 2021
- 4:15pm – 5:15pm ET
- Virtual via Zoom
Land Your Dream Job: Make Your Best First Impression with Social Media
Land Your Dream Job is a three-part workshop that helps high school girls and college students develop skills to obtain an internship or first job. Each participant enjoyed a ‘how-to’ presentation on the following topic and then worked in small group coaching sessions to apply what they learned.
MARS shared best practices and coached high school girls and college women on establishing a professional social media presence.
- September 28, 2021
- 4:15pm – 5:15pm ET
- Virtual via Zoom
Land Your Dream Job: Ace Your Interview Workshop
Land Your Dream Job is a three-part workshop that helps high school girls and college students develop skills to obtain an internship or first job. Each participant enjoyed a ‘how-to’ presentation on the following topic and then worked in small group coaching sessions to apply what they learned.
Fannie Mae shared best practices and coached high school girls and college women to ace their interview.
- September 29, 2021
- 4:15pm – 5:15pm ET
- Virtual via Zoom
Women in STEM History: Looking to the Past to Inspire the Future
We aim to engage and inspire the next generation by exploring powerful women in STEM history and highlight the careers and interests of today’s trailblazers, our panelists. During the Women in STEM History Panel: Looking to the Part to Inspire the Future, we brought together an inspiring group of women who represent the full spectrum of STEM careers. Panelists had a chance to interact with participants in interactive, small group breakouts with fun Women in STEM history trivia, career exploration questions and opportunities to give advice and guidance to the girls.
- May 23, 2021
- 4pm – 5:15pm ET
- Virtual via Zoom
Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani
STEM for Her recently presented a screening of Secrets of the Surface and a post screening conversation focused on women in STEM.
Filmed in Canada, Iran, and the United States, Secrets of the Surface: The Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani examines the life and mathematical work of Maryam Mirzakhani, an Iranian immigrant to the United States who became a superstar in her field. In 2014, she was both the first woman and the first Iranian to be honored by mathematics’ highest prize, the Fields Medal.
Mirzakhani’s contributions are explained in the film by leading mathematicians and illustrated by animated sequences. Her mathematical colleagues from around the world, as well as former teachers, classmates, and students in Iran today, convey the deep impact of her achievements. The path of her education, success on Iran’s Math Olympiad team, and her brilliant work, make Mirzakhani an ideal role model for girls looking toward careers in science and mathematics.
GEM Hunt: Learn from female math experts at this week long program
Girls Empowered by Math (GEM) and STEM for Her hosted a virtual GEM Hunt.
- April 19-23, 2021
- 4:00pm – 5:30pm
- Virtual via Zoom
Day 1: Dr. Monifa Vaughn-Cooke (University of Maryland, A. James Clark School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering) discussed human error and how to model/account for it. She has a focus on medical device design and the applications of human reliability tools in healthcare systems, where she includes factors from psychology and sociology in her risk assessment.
Day 2: Dr. Katrina Groth (University of Maryland, A. James Clark School of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering) focused on safety and reliability in complex engineering systems, which include energy systems, power plants, pipelines, aircraft, defense, transportation, etc.
Day 4: Earth Day Event with STEM for Her and SunPower. Attendees learned how the women of SunPower develop and harness record breaking solar technology to change the world!
Speakers Included:
- Mara Leandro Urban, Reliability RDP Engineering Intern
- Jessina Riano, Commercial Solar Interconnection and Utility Relations Manager
- Laetitia Rodrigues Barbosa, Module Product Engineer Manager
- Diana Burckhart, Manager, Market Development and Policy
- Brandie States, Regional Sales Manager
Day 5: Dr. Rochelle E. Tractenberg (Georgetown University, Department of Neurology with secondary appointments at the Departments of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, and Biomathematics) focused on statistical analysis, the development of clinical trials, and the differences between accuracy and precision.
Land Your Dream Job: Make Your Best First Impression with Social Media
Land Your Dream Job was a three-part workshop that helped high school girls and college students develop skills to obtain an internship or first job. Vector Solutions shared best practices and coached high school girls and college women on establishing a professional social media presence.
- March 22, 2021
- 4:15pm – 5:15pm
- Virtual via Zoom
Land Your Dream Job: Professional Resume Workshop
Land Your Dream Job was a three-part workshop to help high school girls and college students develop skills to obtain an internship or first job. Neustar shared best practices and coached high school girls and college women on writing a professional resume.
- March 23, 2021
- 4:15pm – 5:15pm
- Virtual via Zoom
Land Your Dream Job: Ace Your Interview Workshop
Land Your Dream Job was a three-part workshop to help high school girls and college students develop skills to obtain an internship or first job. Amazon Web Services shared best practices and coached high school girls and college women on how to to ace their interview.
- March 24, 2021
- 4:15pm – 5:15pm
- Virtual via Zoom
Celebrate Pi Day with Ford Motor Company and Argo AI: Learn about self-driving vehicle development in D.C.
STEM for HER recently teamed-up with Ford Motor Company and Argo AI to share about the self-driving service being built in Washington DC in honor of Pi Day!
Every year on March 14th, Pi Day is celebrated by math enthusiasts around the world. Did you know that math is the foundation of building a self-driving car? Attendees heard from Ford Motor Company and the technology company Argo AI, about how they are working together to build a self-driving service for ride-hailing and goods delivery in Washington DC! They learned how the self-driving vehicle operates, and received advice for young women interested in pursuing a career in the self-driving industry and Pi Day!
- March 10, 2021
- 4:15pm – 5:15pm
- Virtual via Zoom
Discovering the Science That's Not in Textbooks: Becoming a Scientist, Engineer or Doctor
ARCS Foundation Metro Washington Chapter and STEM for Her recently hosted a fireside chat on Careers in Technology. Attendees learned from three women leaders on how are charting their way towards careers in technology and the life lessons they are learning en route.
The event featured the below panelists:
Ariana Davis, Georgetown Medical School
Ashley Montgomery, Chemistry major, Southern Methodist University; entering medical school in fall 2021
Laura Paquin, ARCS Scholar, PhD Candidate, Aerospace Engineering University of Maryland
* Moderator: Patricia (Patty) Sparrell, Chemist and Chemical Engineer; VP, Development, ARCS/MWC
- January 24, 2021
- 5:30pm – 6:30pm
- Virtual via Zoom
Careers in Tech - Internships, First Jobs and Beyond
STEM for Her recently hosted an exciting fireside chat with industry experts at SAP Concur, a global company leading in travel, expense and invoice technology. These leaders shared experiences and lessons learned through their career journey within the world of tech providing helpful advice, guidance and insight.
The event featured the below panelists:
Devan Vaughn, Director, Diversity & Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility
Megan Harry, Systems/Data/Knowledge Manager
Alice Day, Software Development Engineer Intern (former iXp intern)
*Moderator, Chelsey Lerdahl, People Connection Corporate Social Responsibility Sr. Global Program Manager
- November 15, 2020
- 5:00pm – 6:00pm
- Virtual via Zoom
Working in STEM – Advice and Guidance for a Career in STEM
STEM for Her welcomed esteemed panelists for a ‘fireside chat’ to discuss the professional trajectory for women in STEM. This successful and dynamic panel talked about the professional climate and culture for women working within STEM fields. They discussed unique opportunities and challenges and how organizations and peers can work together to encourage women to pursue and succeed in STEM careers.
The event featured the below panelists:
Lorrene Buckley, Ph.D, Eli Lilly
Aditi Chaudhry, Two Sigma
Jennifer Hayne, ABL, Inc
Trudy Padmore, Ph.D., Decisive
Victoria Velez, Deloitte and Touche LLP
*Marian McKee, Ph.D., Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Inc ~ Moderator/Board Member – STEM for Her
- October 25, 2020
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm
- Virtual via Zoom
STEM First Steps:
The Only Girl in the Room
Taking your first step into STEM can be daunting, learn how other girls and women forged their paths and get inspired!
View the video from the first event, hosted by Margo Gorra-Stockman, Board Member STEM for Her and featuring panelists: Merrill Keating, Annika Nikhar, Kirthi Kumar, and Jasmine Syed
- Saturday, June 20
- 4:00pm – 5:00pm
- Virtual via Zoom
College-bound! Choosing and Succeeding in a College STEM Program
College-bound! Choosing and Succeeding in a College STEM Program – Participants heard about making the right college selection for them, including their specific STEM discipline, from those in the process or recent graduates!
- Sunday, July 26th at 4pm ET via Zoom
- Event Registration Fee: NO COST
- Hosted by: Margo Gorra-Stockman, Board Member STEM for Her
Panelists:
- Lauryn Mitchell – graduate of Elizabethtown College, pursuing her masters at St. Mary’s
- Lizbeth Sanchez – graduate of University of Puerto Rico, Chemical Engineering, currently at Accenture
- Olivia Bridgstocke – attending Coastal Carolina University, major Computer Science
- Kara Ritthaworn – attending George Washington University, major Mechanical Engineering.
STEM for Her Presents: Women of Color Succeeding in STEM
Virtual “Fireside Chat” session with professional business women of diverse backgrounds. This event serves to equip, empower, and energize participants for their academic and professional paths in STEM.
Do you wish you could understand more about the STEM education and career selection process? Do you ever wonder what drives decisions to enter the world of STEM?
This lively conversation with game changing leaders from the world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math as they discuss the nuances, how they quieted the nay-sayers, and are shaping STEM success for generations to come!
FEATURING:
- S — Danielle Twum, Ph.D. ~Translational Scientist/Immunologist – Caris Lifesciences
- T — Megan Harry ~ Systems/Data/Knowledge Manager – SAP Concur
- E — Monique Stewart ~ Mechanical Engineer – Federal Railroad Administration
- M — Pamela E. Harris, Ph.D. ~ Mathematician/Professor – Williams College
- * Susan Mitchell ~ Moderator/Board Member – STEM for Her