MakerGirl at the STEaM Summit
by Olivia Cole
On March 10, I had the pleasure of representing MakerGirl at the STEaM Summit in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with Nishi and Lizzy.
We had a breakaway session teaching girls (and their parents) about the basics of using TinkerCad and 3D printing, but there were presentations and booths set up on all kinds of STEAM related topics. Luckily, we arrived early so we were able to explore what the summit had to offer.
There were booths on so many different topics ranging from human anatomy to virtual reality! It was fun being able to learn a little bit at each booth, but much more rewarding to see how excited girls of all ages were to learn.
At our breakout session, we had to present in front of around 70 girls and their parents. This was a really nerve wracking moment for me, but you can tell that everyone was interested in what we had to say. My favorite part of our presentation was when we brought up rows of girls and they were able to see the printer up close. This gave them more of a chance to ask questions that they were maybe too shy to ask before, and it gave me more of a chance to talk to the girls personally.
This is always my favorite part of any presentation or session with MakerGirl. We’re able to connect with young girls, and help them realize how STEAM could be applied to their interests. Plus they get to learn a bit about 3D printing in the process!
The STEaM Summit in Milwaukee was such a great event to attend. It was amazing to see everyone leave it more confident and excited about STEAM. Hearing from the talented women on the lunch panel, and seeing all the women running really cool booths and breakout sessions was enough to inspire anyone any age. I can only imagine what kind of impact this event had on the young girls, because I know I left inspired.
Thank you to the Milwaukee Business Journal for hosting us!
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