Speaker Information

2020 Women in Science Conferences

March 10, 2020 in Rapid City

Sponsored by Youth in Science Rapid City, Inc. Co-sponsored by Women in Science & Engineering at SDSM&T

May 13, 2020 in Spearfish

Sponsored by Black Hills State University and BHSU Women in STEM

Dear Potential WIS Conference Speaker:

Women in Science Conferences are a one-day events designed to introduce young women to career opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). There are two conferences scheduled to take place in the Black Hills in 2020:

Rapid City WIS Conference: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology

Spearfish WIS Conference: Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at Black Hills State University

We are expecting around 1,200 7th grade girls from around the Black Hills region to participate in these conferences. We are seeking women with successful careers in STEM fields to speak at these events so that the participants can learn directly from them about their careers. At each conference, the participants will be placed in small groups of 15-25 and attend breakout sessions where they will learn about different careers from various speakers. Each session is 30 minutes long. We ask speakers to talk a little bit about themselves, their background, and their career, and to lead participants in a hands-on activity. The format of the session and the choice of activity are left entirely up to each speaker. A computer and projector will be available, but a formal presentation is not required.

Speakers are usually scheduled to speak to 3 or 4 different groups, but we are willing to accommodate any scheduling requests. Lunch will be provided. The session schedule will be:

Session 1 9:45-10:15 AM

Session 2 10:25-10:55 AM

Session 3 11:05-11:35 AM

Session 4 11:45 AM-12:15 PM

Session 5 12:25-12:55 PM

Session 6 1:05-1:35 PM

Session 7 1:45-2:15 PM

Please reply if you are willing to speak at either conference, or at both! Your participation in this event is an opportunity to provide young women with the chance to learn about careers in science, technology, engineering, and math. You can provide an example of a woman succeeding in a STEM career, and your example sends the important message to each girl that she can achieve anything. Additionally, if you know someone who you think might be interested in speaking, please recommend them to us, or feel free to forward this invitation. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact one of us.

Sincerely,

Tanya Nelsen and Katrina Jensen

Tanya@thechemistrylab.com Katrina.Jensen@bhsu.edu

605-391-7768 605-642-6247

2020 Women in Science Speaker Coordinators

More Presentation Info

Presentations will be 30 minutes long. At the most, you will have to present six times.

Please make your time interesting through hands on activities and/or audience participation. Our aim is to help the girls realize their need to take math and science classes and to consider degrees and careers in the science fields.

Suggestions

Tell about

classes in high school and college that helped you achieve your career goals

scholarships or anything else that helped you get your degree

your job and what you do

challenges you faced in career advancement

PowerPoint can be used

Games - Weather Jeopardy was a big hit in 2008

Lab work - The forest service brought in real trees and set up stations for the girls to go through

Experiments - a plant pathologist had girls extract DNA

Allow time for questions

Discouraged

Talk about your company or university in a way to "sell it"

Give quizzes or tests

Request personal information from attendees

Lectures