Sixth grade girls from Walnut Springs Middle School visited the Delaware Area Career Center to learn about careers in STEM.
Forty sixth grade girls from Walnut Springs Middle School participated in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) for Girls Career Exploration Experience at the Delaware Area Career Center South Campus. The girls rotated between interactive sessions in biomedical engineering, app development and programming, engineering design, and bioscience. One participant remarked how she wished she could “have spent more time in Bioscience. I learned lots about the bone structures in the hand and we made fake paper hands that could move. Mine actually worked!” Engineers from Honda spoke about career paths and the vast variety of jobs at the company during lunch. The girls’ time at the Career Center concluded with a student-created poster session.
Upon returning to school, students learned about STEM classes and opportunities available through Westerville City Schools. Anne Baldwin, Career Tech and College Readiness Coordinator, and Lyndsey Manzo, Science Curriculum Specialist, shared information about the district’s Health, Engineering, and Business Logistics Pathways available to high school students. Lisa Huelskamp, Middle School Gifted Facilitator, and Tom Markle, Walnut Springs School Counselor, spoke about the importance of a strong work ethic, perseverance, and challenging themselves in middle school to prepare for courses beyond those years.
When asked to reflect on the experience, #stemforgirls, #bestfieldtripever, and #notstereotypical were some of the hashtags they used to share their thoughts. It is clear that conversations about the power and possibilities for girls in STEM will continue. The girls appreciated the “hands-on” nature of the program, noting that “pursuing something in the STEM field is interesting to me” and they would be interested in learning more about what the career centers have to offer.
For more information about opportunities Westerville students have at partnering career centers, please visit https://www.westerville.k12.oh.us/Administration/154. Students and families can find additional information about Westerville’s Career Pathways by visiting http://www.westerville.k12.oh.us/administration/74.