The key to advancing STEM is to convince kids that it’s cool (or whatever the latest hip word is) to be in the sciences.  Kids are bombarded daily by media professing the glamor and wealth of celebrities and wall streeters.  But seldom does the paparazzi follow a nuclear physicist or electrical engineer.  By letting them get hands on experience at an early age boys and girls are more likely to migrate toward STEM studies.  IBM is helping girls to do just this.

A group of 36 girls descended on IBM on Aug. 9. By the end of the week, they had been engineers, forensic investigators, meteorologists and computer technicians.

The girls were participating in IBM’s EXITE — EXploring Interests in Technology and Engineering — camp, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Rochester.

There are many corporations that support STEM and for that we are fortunate.  Keep urging your company to participate in STEM education.

A summit aimed at attracting more young women to science, technology, engineering and math fields is scheduled for September 30 in Terre Haute.

Indiana State University will host “Where Are the Girls: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education and Careers” at the John T. Myers Technology Center, 605 Cherry St.

Sponsored by the Great Lakes Girls Collaborative Project, a regional affiliate of the National Girls Collaborative Project, the summit is aimed at policymakers and leaders in education, government, business and the community – and anyone with a stake in the topic.

And everyone has a stake in the topic.  Despite the great strides women have made in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math they continue to remain underrepresented, bring in lower wages and face the many social obstacles to success prevalent since antiquity.

Women are essential to our success in these fields.  WizSTEM will continue to shed light on this and all topics related to science, technology, engineering and math.

Stay tuned…