On Saturday March 9, South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) will be invaded by approximately 350 sixth through eighth grade girls for the 30th annual Expanding Your Horizons Thurston County event. The goal of the event, hosted by SPSCC, is to show girls that not only can woman have careers within the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields, but just how many options there are in each field.
“When I was that age, I had a really limited view of what was available within the sciences,” says Joy Hobbs, co-chair of this year’s event and a past workshop teacher. “I want girls to see all the possibilities that are really out there for them.”
The event draws girls from 6 counties including Thurston, Mason, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Pierce. Kelly Green, Chief Communications Director and Legislative Affairs Officer for SPSCC and Expanding Your Horizons co-chair, says they have marketed the event a lot to parents, students and teachers in rural areas. The event has grown 30 percent in the last few years.
The event costs $15 and scholarships are available “If money for transportation or registration is the only reason why a girl can’t attend, we will take care of it,” says Kelly. “We receive donations from local businesses that make scholarships possible and we have never had to say no to a girl yet.”
“It’s very important for the girls to come the conference and see 300 other girls that are just like them – wearing the same hoodies, same sneakers, having the same haircut,” she says. “Maybe even recognizing girls they are aren’t friends with at school, but seeing that they have the same taste in fashion as them and are also interested in learning about STEM. It makes the girls not feel lonely or nerdy when they see so many other girls with the same interests.”
New Workshops & Old Favorites
This year’s keynote will be given by Telissa Wilson, a molecular biologist, and Tiffany Bachtel, a Master of Envorimental Studies Graduate student. They will be discussing their experiences studying the deep sea including introducing girls to the strange and beautiful creatures they have discovered.
During the event, each girl attends three workshops, all taught by female experts who volunteer their time. “One of the things I am most excited about is that this year we have thirty-six workshops for the girls to choose from,” says Katya.
“It’s so important for girls to see female professional in these roles and get to interact with them,” she adds. “And the fact that these women work right here in our own community.”
The professionals come from all over the county, from many different fields – state patrol, colleges, scientists from state agencies, faculty from all the local colleges and more. “The mentors make or break the conference,” Kelly says. “If we didn’t have these women to teach the classes, there would be no conference. They volunteer their entire day and they do an amazing job.”
“For me, it was really exciting to talk to girls at this age,” says Joy of her teaching experience with STEM. “They were really excited and had lots of questions. I am use to talking to students at the undergrad and grad level, so it was really interesting for me to talk to younger girls and get them excited about the field I am in.”
Each year, new workshops are added. New workshops this year include “Training Dogs to Save Endangered Wildlife”, where girls learn how dogs are helping save endangered species and stop poaching, and “Can You See the Polar Bear?”, in which infrared light is discussed.
Perennial favorites include “Chocolate Asphalt,” where girls make a road out of chocolate, and “Chemistry in Art”, where girls will use chemistry to create their own piece of art.
All workshops are hands-on. “We make sure the girls aren’t just sitting and listening for a whole day, but really getting in there and experiencing things for themselves,” Kelly says. “It’s fun at the end of the day to see them all coming into the gym with things they made – like a lump of metal they’ve welded, a polymer ice cream cone, boats.”
Workshops are offered for parents, too, for an additional $15. Topics include college prep and funding as well as issues tween and teen girls face today.
Opportunities for Older Students
Girls who may have missed the opportunity to attend while in middle school are welcome to become volunteers helping with sign in, in the classroom or mentoring younger girls. To volunteer, visit the event website.
And, if you have a job in a STEM field, the group are always looking for more women to volunteer to inspire girls. “We are only limited by the number of teachers we have,” explains Katya. “The more teachers we, have the more workshops we can offer and the more girls can join us.”
Above all, they want girls to have fun and open their mind to possibilities. Maybe one of these girls will go on to bring drawings to life through 3D imaging or discover a new planet.
Visit the Expanding Your Horizons site for more information and to register.
