GEMS Program Description

District 219 Niles Township will host a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math) conference for 5^th to 8^th grade GIRLS and their parents. The purpose of this conference is to educate girls about careers in STEM, and introduce girls to female role models from industry and the high school. Parents are also invited to attend the conference. There will be a separate program just for parents. The purpose of the parent program is to discuss how to prepare girls for STEM courses in high school, college, and STEM related careers.

The conference will begin with our exciting keynote speakers. Girls will learn about STEM careers followed by hands-on activities. Presenters are from Northwestern University, Association of Women In Science, Society of Women Engineers, and Niles West HS.

Raffle prizes will be given away during the closing session. These prizes along with the goody bags were generously given to our conference by organizations such as the ACS Education Division, ACS Community Events Division, and Science/AAAS. The Chemical Industry Council of Illinois and the National Girls Collaborative Project provided grant money to make this conference possible. We are deeply grateful to all those who support our program. THANK YOU!

Resources:

• Illinois Science Outreach Programs
• Midwest Girls Collaborative Project National Organizations & Sites
• Places and Sites for Exploring Science
• Science Resources and Programs for GIRLS
• Why so Few? by AAUW (why so few girls in STEM)