Women in STEMM Expo Encourages Young Women

Over 400 students ranging from sixth to 12th grades engaged in a day of learning and fun at Edison State Community College on Friday, November 3, for the 16th annual Women in STEMM Expo. The daylong program is designed to help boost the interest of young women in the science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) career fields.

“I think this event absolutely shows students that they can get into a STEMM career and be successful,” said Edison State Provost Dr. Melissa Wertz. “I was in a STEMM career many, many years ago, so I think it’s exciting to show them the potential of what they can do.”

While on campus, each of the girls chose three breakout sessions to attend in the morning with topics ranging from crime scene investigation, medical lab technology, and information technology to agriculture, engineering, and mathematics.

Many of the day’s sessions provided an inside look at various career fields, such as “Can You Help Save Casper the Dog?”, where participants could perform CPR on a canine manikin and apply a bandage or splint. In “Own Your Own Coffee Shop,” students became owners of their own virtual coffee shop, purchasing ingredients, making products, and setting selling prices that balanced customer satisfaction and profit.

Other sessions focused on topics relevant to the girls’ daily lives. “Invest $ Today = A Brighter Tomorrow,” led by Mutual Federal Bank employees, helped participants discover the financial choices needed to make tomorrow successful and showed them how to take control of their financial destiny.

A total of 29 breakout sessions were available throughout the morning, including a coding session led by the Ohio State University–Miami County Extension Office in which participants learned how to operate, drive, and perform basic coding using programmable robot balls called Sphero Bots. Copeland employees provided an escape room session where students used STEMM-related technologies to find clues needed to solve the puzzle.

The afternoon portion of the event was dedicated to STEMM career demonstrations and included over 20 tables with area businesses for students to visit to learn more about various career fields.

Representatives from Abbott Nutrition, Advanced Composites, Copeland, Crown Equipment Corporation, Edison State, Greenville National Bank, ITW Hobart Brothers & Miller Electric, Kettering Health Transportation, MedVet, Miami County Public Health, Miami Soil & Water Conservation District, Miami Valley Hospital–Troy, Midmark, Mutual Federal Bank, Nitto, Inc., Ohio Aggregates & Industrial Minerals Association, Ohio Poultry Association/Weaver Brothers, OSU Extension Office–Miami County, Premier Health Dietetic, Shook Construction, STEMM Studio 22, Upper Valley Medical Center–Trauma, and Wayne HealthCare provided their expertise for the day’s breakout sessions and interactive career demonstrations.