Girls Rock STEAM will not be held at Arlington High School in 2026. Check out Girls Rock STEAM Rockland in Nanuet!
Saturday, March 22, 2025
8:15 am - 1:00 pm
Arlington High School
1157 State Route 55
Lagrangeville, NY 12540
Registration for the 2025 event is now CLOSED. Registered participants may find more info on the "Day Of Info" tab as we approach the event date!
Girls Rock STEAM is a community outreach event focused on providing young women in Grades 5-8 the opportunity to engage in a day of meaningful STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Mathematics) activities. Presenters include Hudson Valley K-12 STEAM teachers, New York State Master Teachers from the Mid-Hudson Regional Cohort, and members of our local STEAM community who are here to share their knowledge and experiences with our participants.
Through our work, we aim to decrease the gender gap in STEAM education and opportunities in order to improve confidence and increase girls' interest in STEAM fields. We seek to engage community members, local professionals, and STEAM organizations in providing meaningful STEAM-related experiences and mentorship for young women here in the Hudson Valley.
The New York State Master Teacher Program is a vibrant professional network of more than 1400 outstanding public school K-12 STEM teachers throughout the state who share a passion for their own STEM learning and for collaborating with colleagues to inspire the next generation of STEM leaders.
Girls Rock STEAM will be held at Arlington High School on Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 from 8:15 am - 1 pm. The event includes a keynote address, three STEAM sessions, and a STEAM Connect Showcase. Registration is free and open to girls enrolled in Grades 5-8 here in the Hudson Valley.
Registration for this year is closed as of March 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm.
Join Erika Finan, Project Manager at Langan Engineering, to kick off the morning! Find out more about Erika and her experience in STEAM by visiting the Keynote Speaker tab.
Attendees may choose up to three STEAM sessions of 50 minutes each. Activities range from dissections to design challenges! See the descriptions in the Sessions tab for more information.
The STEAM Connect Showcase brings together local STEAM professionals, organizations, and community resources. Attendees may visit tables to learn about resources and opportunities for following their curiosity in STEAM fields.
Meet our presenters for Girls Rock STEAM 2025! Find more information about the engaging activities they have planned by visiting the Sessions tab.
Bruce Cobb is a 5th grade math/science teacher in the Kingston School District. He has been teaching for 24 years and is NYS Master Teacher Emeritus. He enjoys helping his students explore different STEM topics and was a former member of the GRS planning team.
Toni D'Alessandro teaches math and computer science at Poughkeepsie High School. She is a former software developer who became a teacher over 18 years ago. She loves doing workshops like this where she can meet enthusiastic future STEAM leaders and share her passion for numbers, logic, and problem solving.
Erin Daniels is Mid-Hudson Master Teacher and currently teaching 6th grade at Haviland Middle School in the Hyde Park School District. In addition to running the school garden, Mrs. Daniels is a mentor for new teachers, the ‘Game Club’ advisor, assists with the Extended Day program, and writes curriculum with colleagues. Her hobbies include learning to crochet, reading, hiking, and spending time with family.
Tara Dicorcia is in her 19th year teaching science at Arlington Central School District, currently teaching biology and forensic science. Professional accomplishments earned throughout her teaching career include National Board Teaching Certification, as well as New York State Master Teacher. Outside of the classroom, Tara enjoys skiing, traveling, and spending time with her husband and 8 year old daughter. Tara's goal is to daily foster a love of science and wonder in her students, creating a kind, supportive space for her students to learn, grow, develop, ask questions and take risks.
Casey Felleman is a 7th grade life science teacher at Van Wyck Junior high school. She has been teaching for 19 years and is a current NYS Master Teacher. She loves sharing her love of science with her students by doing hands-on activities and getting them to question and think critically about the world around them. She is excited about getting her students involved in the Hudson River Eel Project this coming spring in hopes to connect students with their local environment. When not teaching, she enjoys playing tennis, swimming and exploring new places with her husband and two children.
Jen Hansen teaches 7th grade science at Wappingers Junior High School. She loves connecting students with their local environment through programs such as the Hudson River Eel Project. Outside of school, she enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two sons.
Laura Ineson teaches 7th grade science at Van Wyck Junior High School. She loves biology and strives to give her students hands-on experiences and relate their learning to their lives and future careers. She has National Board Certification, and continues to connect with and learn from other NYS Master Teachers. In her free time, she is with her family and enjoys hiking and exploring the zoo with her husband and 3 kids.
Marin Malgieri is a Math/Science Instructional Coach for grades 5 - 8 in the Kingston City School District. She enjoys teaching and learning math, science and technology.
Annie Mardiney has been a wild bird rehabilitator for 19 years, and does educational programs with unreleasable owls, falcons and hawks. She has been a lover of the woods, wild places, wild birds and non-Western cultures her entire life. She has degrees in cultural Anthropology, an MA degree from Cornell University in Andean culture, and a retired social studies teacher. When time allows, she's outside birding or hiking with her dogs.
Christine McIntyre is an 8th-grade science teacher in Wappingers Falls. In her free time, she likes to play video games such as Fort Night and Mario Party with her husband and three teenage sons. She also likes cuddling with her three dogs ( Tucker, Rex, and Tez) and doing fun science experiments.
Tara Redican earned her BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Delaware and MS in Education from Bank Street College. She has been teaching everything from Pre-K to high school mathematics, robotics, and chemistry since 2001. Mrs. Redican is an active member in AACT and ACS, and she recently participated in the Science Coaches program which pairs scientists in the field with classrooms. She is the faculty sponsor of ChemClub and the NYS Science Honor Society at her school, Newburgh Free Academy. Currently, Mrs. Redican is teaching Honors and Regents Chemistry, but looks forward to teaching a new STEAM course next year and continuing to incorporate content from the multi-disciplinary Big History Project into General Chemistry courses, as well. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and camping, and has participated in Earthwatch research expeditions where she was able to study whales, dolphins, and lemurs.
Adam Seelig has been teaching 8th Introduction to Technology Education at Wallkill’s John G. Borden Middle School since 2007. One goal of teaching technology education is to make students more aware of the world they live in as many students do not think about the everyday items they use or the design process that went into making them. Technology education combines engineering, problem-solving, the design process, and hands-on projects as well as allowing students to apply what they are learning in their other classes in practical, real-world ways. Adam enjoys woodworking, camping, hiking, kayaking, and making things- going so far as to make his tear-drop camper.
I have taught a variety of science subjects and enjoy tying it back to the world around us and the creatures we share it with.
Barbara Spanos has been teaching biology at John Jay High School in Cross River, NY since 2021. Prior to this, she taught Living Environment in Brooklyn for 7 years and was a Math for America Master Teacher. Barbara is currently in her second year of the NYS Master Teacher Program from the Mid-Hudson Cohort. She enjoys seeing her students grapple with science through hands-on activities and engaging discussions. Outside of teaching, Barbara enjoys cooking, baking, and all things nature with her family.
Gabriella Terwilliger has always had a love for science ever since she was a little girl! She graduated from University of New Haven with degrees in Forensic Science and Biology and is now in her 5th year of teaching Biology at Carmel High School.
Victoria Yerkes is a chemistry teacher at Washingtonville High School. She has multiple hobbies such as piano playing, sailing, and hiking with her family. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen with different foods to create new delicious recipes.
The NYSMTP Mid-Hudson Girls Rock STEAM Professional Learning Team is led by co-facilitators Gwen Saylor and Kaila Hastings.
Current members of the Girls Rock STEAM PLT include James Amodio, Toni DAlessandro, Erin Daniels, Nicole Devincenzi, Tara DiCorcia, Casey Felleman, Jason Fidler, Tracey Finan, Jennifer Hansen, Kaila Hastings, Laura Ineson, Brittany Kozlenko, Anthony Mayer, Christine McIntyre, Marc Ouimet, Mike Polotaye, Jennifer Rescigno, Scott Rizzo, Molly Sager, Carrie Schlagler, Heather Schucker, Adam Seelig, Theresa Smith, Barbara Spanos, Kathryn Stewart, Frank Tamweber, Szilvia Tobak, Brittany Tompkins, and Victoria Yerkes.
Girls Rock STEAM
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 | 8:15 am - 1 pm
Arlington High School | 1157 State Rte 55 Lagrangeville, NY 12540
