On February 12, we mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (internationally recognized on February 11). Join us for a fun, engaging, and inspiring event – the 2024 Girls in STEAM Conference!

The 2024 Girls in STEAM Conference is an opportunity for youth in grades 6 to 9 to meet women working in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) fields, gain new skills, and have a lot of fun with hands-on activities.

Following a keynote address participants will join one of four breakout sessions where they will meet a woman in a STEAM field and participate in a hands-on learning activity.

Cost

This event is FREE for all participants, however registration is required.

The 2024 Girls in STEAM Conference will be presented virtually, although there are limited supplies for the breakout session activities. Upon acceptance to the event, participants will be shipped a materials kit to help them complete breakout session activities. Teachers who register will receive enough materials for a class of thirty students.

Keynote Speaker

**Katrina German**

**Founder & CEO - Ethical Digital**

Streams & Mentors

The streams we’ll be digging into for this event are:

Cybersecurity

Mentor: Tera Lowrie – VP Consumer Advisors – Innovation Federal Credit Union

DIGITAL SKILLS

Mentor: Amy Pitman – Application Engineer Team Lead – Seimens

Forensic Psychology

Mentor: Jordan Nixdorf – Crime Analyst – Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Math & Probability

Mentor: Hannah Ottenbreit – Saskatoon Public Schools

Power

Mentor: Frances Hilderman – Director, Saskatchewan Environmental Services Group – HATCH

Anthropology & Archaeology

Mentor: Breanna Tait – Visitor Services Coordinator – Wanuskewin

Event Schedule

9:30 am: Conference Kick Off

9:35 am: Welcome and Introduction from Laura

9:45 am: Welcome from Minister Laura Ross

9:50 am: Welcome from Sandy Baumgartner – CEO Saskatchewan Science Centre

10:00 am: Keynote Presentation with Katrina German – CEO Ethical Digital – Prioritizing Mental Wellness in an Online Age

11:00 am: Breakout Sessions

12:00 pm: Lunch Break

1:00 pm: Welcome Back with Laura

1:05 pm: Health Break

1:15 pm: Breakout Sessions

3:00 pm: Conference Closing Ceremonies

FAQ:

No! This conference will contain themes and messaging that are meant to speak more directly to girls. However, the keynote and sessions will contain information and messaging that speaks to a larger audience and are appropriate for all audiences.
Yes, this event is available to classrooms and home schools.
Absolutely! This event has great information even if you do not have supplies. All activities that are a part of breakout sessions will show supplies that are used and are offered asynchronously so you are able to come back to those sessions at a future time. It is also worth noting, that our coding platform allows you to utilize virtual hardware so you can code along with us.
Our classroom kits are designed to provide relevant materials for activities. They are designed for students to work in groups, and will be customized to class size. We can accommodate a maximum of 30 students in each kit.
There is a lot of evidence that show as young women learn in school, they perform on par with boys, and enroll in STEAM classes on par. However, as time goes on, a gender gap grows as participation from girls in STEAM classes drops off. This is further widened by issues of race and class. Our goal in offering this program is to help these young girls begin to understand that anyone can be a scientist, engineer, coder, an architect, or any STEAM-related professional by creating positive experiences with other young women. We hope to dispel the myth that they aren't able to excel in STEAM fields.

About the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are a call to action to promote prosperity and protect the planet. Goal 5 seeks to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. To achieve this goal, youth in particular girls, need more opportunities to learn about careers and opportunities to be future innovators.

International Day of Women and Girls in Science (unesco.org)