TMA News

Illinois High School Girls Mentor Younger In STEAM And 3-D Printing

STEAM education, both in and out of the school setting, has grabbed the attention of girls of all ages from around the world. It’s a good thing too, because it is no secret that areas such as engineering and mathematics are still very male-dominated. But the truth is that many STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, mathematics) oriented studies and jobs have historically been intimidating or not as interesting to a large percentage of students.

Thankfully, nerds are in today and so is STEAM; in fact, participating in STEAM programs is downright cool these days. And a group of girls from Glenbrook South High School in Glenview, IL took it upon themselves to show their younger counterparts—from fifth to eighth grades—just how much fun STEAM can be, creating a mentorship program called Got STEAM.

The girls offer workshops once a month, featuring subjects such as 3D printing, robotics, and coding. The sessions are held either at their high school or the Glenview Public Library. Kate Stack is a high school sophomore and acts as a program leader in the new mentorship program, which began during this school year. She states that the program is open to all, with boys welcomed—although the program has primarily targeted membership by girls. Stack also received $350 for materials thanks to her application for a grant from the Karma for Cara Foundation.

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