Girls+ in STEAM

On Wednesday, February 11, we recognize the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and celebrate with a fun, engaging, and inspiring event—the 2026 Girls+ in STEAM Conference!  

This virtual 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. 

The 2026 Girls+ in STEAM Conference will be presented virtually and is FREE for all participants; however, registration is required. 

Click Here to Register Your Class for GIS

This inclusive program welcomes participants and mentors of many gender identities—whether you identify as a girl, boy, trans, genderqueer, non-binary, Two-Spirit, or gender questioning. 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Jenn Harper

In January of 2015, Jenn Harper had the most vivid dream of little Indigenous girls covered in colorful lip glosses. That dream is what gave birth to Cheekbone Beauty, one of the first Canadian Indigenous-owned and founded cosmetics companies.

MENTORS

Evie Johnny Ruddy (they/them)

Evie Johnny Ruddy teaches Creative Technologies & Design at the University of Regina. An award-winning digital storyteller, Evie Johnny creates interactive augmented reality (AR), web-based, and locative audio experiences. Their work has been exhibited at Nuit Blanche and was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the category of Best Production – Interactive. Evie Johnny is passionate about using AR to disrupt and reimagine shared everyday spaces.

Melissa Kozey

Melissa Kozey works in science communication and education at the Saskatchewan Science Centre, where she shares her passion for science and the environment with audiences across Saskatchewan. Her favourite workshops to lead are dissections. Melissa earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Regina, where she spent two years working in research labs and discovered her love of microbiology. She went on to complete a master’s degree in environmental microbiology at McGill University, studying Arctic cyanobacteria and conducting fieldwork in the High Arctic of Nunavut.

Payton Gilbertson

Payton Gilbertson is a Research & Development Production Engineer at Industrial Light & Magic in Vancouver, BC. Originally from Regina, SK, she grew up fascinated by how movie magic happens behind the scenes. With a strong interest in science, math, and computers, she pursued computer science at the University of Regina, which ultimately led her to ILM through an internship. After graduating, Payton returned to ILM full-time, where she continues to help bring cinematic worlds to life.

Janet Ng

Janet Ng is a wildlife biologist specializing in bird science. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta, where she studied hawks nesting on the Canadian Prairies. Janet now works with Environment and Climate Change Canada, tracking migrating and nesting birds such as herons, shorebirds, and loons. Using tools like satellite tags, drones with thermal cameras, and field surveys, she supports bird conservation by monitoring populations, identifying threats, and helping develop conservation strategies.

VIRTUAL EVENT SCHEDULE

9:30 am: Conference Kick Off

9:35 am: Welcome and Introduction from Host

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

10:00 am: Keynote Presentation

11:00 am: Breakout Sessions

12:00 pm: Lunch Break

1:00 pm: Welcome Back from Host

1:05 pm: Health Break

1:15 pm: Breakout Sessions

3:00 pm: Conference Closing Ceremonies

 

Thank you to the following businesses and agencies for sponsoring GIS

 
 
 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • 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)