STEM Careers in Focus at Conference for 1400 Middle School Girls
An estimated 1,400 middle school girls will converge on the South Dakota Mines campus from 9 a.m. to 2:35 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15-16, for the annual Women in Science Conference.
The immersion-based experience is designed to provide young women with engaging opportunities to learn about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). This year's conference will span two days in order to provide outreach to students who would have been eligible to participate in 2021 when the conference had to be cancelled due to COVID restrictions.
A wide range of STEM careers will be demonstrated by professional women leading interactive exhibits and discussions. Among the speakers are engineers, physicians, dentists, meteorologists, science educators, veterinarians, geologists and accountants.
Dr. Jennifer Hasvold, hospitalist at Monument Health and Pillar 3 Director for the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, will offer the keynote address.
Every 7th and 8th grade girl in the Rapid City Area School District will attend as well as homeschooled students and girls from Custer, Douglas, Hermosa, Hot Springs, Isna Wica Owayawa Loneman School, Kadoka Area Schools, Little Wound, Long Valley, New Underwood, St. Thomas More and Wall.
The program is hosted by Youth in Science Rapid City, Inc. and co-sponsored by Mines' Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) program and funded by grants and community partners.