Girl Power!, the annual Imagination Station STEM event, will switch to a virtual format this year, but has plenty of lessons for aspiring scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and more.
Those fields have been historically dominated by men with major hurdles for success for women. Many girls aren’t exposed to STEM — which stands for science, technology, engineering, and math — early on and are dissuaded from pursuing the field. Girl Power! aims to change that.
“It's really meant to inspire girls to pursue STEM careers,” said Katie Pixlar, Imagination Station’s communications director.
The sixth annual event will run from March 14 to March 20. Katie Sowers, an assistant National Football League coach most recently with the San Francisco 49ers, will be the keynote speaker March 20.
Ms. Sowers is the second woman NFL coach and the first openly gay coach in the league. She holds a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Central Missouri.
Ms. Sowers will take questions from audience members during the event via Zoom, according to Imagination Station.
The event previously has been done in person, but will switch online this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. The program will be expanded to a week-long event, with about 100 students registered so far.
Registration is free, and those who register will be emailed out video messages daily by women in STEM fields who talk about their careers, their studies, adversity they faced, or what they wished they knew when they were in elementary school.
“These women tell the girls what they would have told themselves as a young girl,” Ms. Pixlar said.
Girls are then sent an activity each day for them to do on their own time. They can purchase a $20 activity pack from Imagination Station which has supplies to complete the activities.
The goal, Ms. Pixlar said, was to teach girls that “they can do anything.”
“Don’t let someone tell you no, and if there is something you are interested in and passionate about, go for it,” she said. “Explore different opportunities and challenge yourself outside the box.”
To register, visit imaginationstationtoledo.org/girl-power. Girl Power! is presented by Toledo Edison and the FirstEnergy Foundation.
First Published February 27, 2021, 1:30 p.m.
