1,200 Utah High School Girls Experience STEM Careers to Expand Tech Sector and Economy
SheTech Explorer Day engages girls with more than 100 companies and industry experts to activate and inspire future careers in STEM
OREM, Utah (March 3, 2017)—The Women Tech Council today launched the first event of their SheTech program in 2017, a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program that activates, engages and inspires high school girls to pursue STEM fields through giving them hands-on experience and mentoring.
The event, called SheTech Explorer Day, was launched in partnership with Utah Valley University (UVU) and drew 1,200 high school girls to earn industry certifications, problem solve with mentors from more than 100 companies and explore STEM careers through activities like robotics, coding, 3D printing, pixel art and engineering polymers.
Through these tech experiences, opportunities to problem solve and present, and one-on-one mentoring with professionals from companies including Ancestry, Dell EMC and Dealertrack, students gained skills, confidence and inspiration to pursue STEM courses and careers.
“As more than 50 percent of the workforce in Utah and worldwide, women play an essential role in the growth of Silicon Slopes, the tech sector and the overall economy,” said Cydni Tetro, president of the Women Tech Council. “It is vital we leverage the talent of girls by teaching them early how to become a successful part of the booming technology ecosystem through expanding their vision of what is possible and giving them the tools to succeed.”
Beyond Explorer Day, SheTech provides high school girls continual engagement with STEM industry by helping them gain internships, learn about college scholarships and find courses that match their interests in their school and district. Through this continual integration, SheTech goes beyond traditional programs that teach students skills by providing them ongoing resources, support and mentoring to continue their path into STEM and succeed.
Since its launch four years ago, SheTech’s Explorer Day is expanding to five locations in 2017 through partnering with other educational institutions, including Weber State University March 31 and Southern Utah, Idaho and Colorado sites in the coming months. By the end of the year, the SheTech program will have reached and impacted more than 10,000 high school girls to pursue STEM careers.
“As a university committed to engaged learning, we recognize the value of bringing industry and education together to create a stronger impact for students,” said Dr. Angela Trego, assistant professor of technology management at UVU. “That is exactly the type of impact we have seen with SheTech as girls leave the program more likely to pursue STEM and a university degree because of the meaningful experiences they have in this program.”
Students, parents or schools interested in getting involved with SheTech or participating in other Explorer Days should visit www.shetechexplorer.com.
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Media contact:
Abby Shaha
801-809-0313
About Women Tech Council
Founded in 2007, The Women Tech Council (WTC) is Utah’s most visible trade organization focused on the economic impact of women in driving high growth for Utah’s technology sector. WTC offers mentoring, visibility, opportunities and networking to more than 10,000 women and men working in technology to create business environments focused on high performance, not diversity, where men and women can succeed. This propels individual careers and Utah’s talent pipeline by ensuring a strong, diverse, and entrepreneurial technology workforce. For more information on Women Tech Council, visit www.womentechcouncil.org