Texas Women and Girls in STEM Summit
Breakout Session 3
1:30 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.
 

Want Girls to Code? Kim Kardashian Must Go. Why Promoting STEM in Media is Vital
(Focus: Diversity / All)
Educators and advocates are up against challenges beyond access and learning in getting girls interested in STEM. They are up against the Kardashians their vapidity and the wide lens they get. Getting girls and women into STEM goes beyond education and mentorship. Media needs to step up with realistic representations of female achievement and media literacy is as important a tool in promoting STEM as a new software, a state of the art lab or the latest in new medical fronts. Latinitas has been empowering girls to innovate through media and technology for 15 years serving over 25,000 girls and teens of color in Central and West Texas teaching a wheelhouse of multimedia production and technology development skills.

Presented by:
Laura Donnelly, Founder, CEO, Latinitas

1 Bag of Materials = 4 Hands-on STEM Activities
(Focus: Elementary School)
Come discover how Girlstart has integrated science and engineering through robots, recycling, prosthetics, and rescue equipment. Activities like Robot Adventure, Plastic Rescue Mission, Prosthetic Prototype, and Miner Rescue make STEM meaningful and relevant to learners. Girlstart is a nationally-recognized non-profit that provides innovative informal STEM education programs dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM through year-round programming. Attendees will receive ready to use, standards-aligned STEM activities as well as the bag of materials needed to incorporate any of the four hands-on activities included in this workshop.

Presented by:
Kristi Eschberger, Senior Program Coordinator, Girlstart

Hands-On/Minds-On: Design Thinking in Integrated STEM
(Focus: High School)
The Engineer Your World classroom is a place where high school students engage in authentic engineering design and computing practices in a problem-solving, inquiry, project-based environment. Crafted to tell the story of engineering and its ability to shape our world, the challenges are designed to attract young women (and other underrepresented groups) to explore the field. Attendees will learn about this innovative, NSF-funded curriculum; talk with a veteran Engineer Your World teacher about how the program engages students in design thinking and builds 21st Century Skills; explore our innovative teacher support model; and discover opportunities for students in grades 9-12 to earn college credit from the University of Texas.

Presented by:
Cheryl Farmer, Director of Precollege Engineering Education Initiatives, Cockrell School of Engineering, UT Austin

Bias Busting, Countering Microaggressions and Inclusive Leadership
(Focus: Diversity / College / Corporate)
Explore resources, strategies and curriculum designed to address stereotypes and biases, counter microaggressions, and develop inclusive leaders. Hear from panelists from diverse organizations and backgrounds and learn how to implement workshops, messaging and resources into your programs and organizations.

Presented by:
Ana Dison, Assistant Director, Women in Engineering Program, UT Austin