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Girls Only STEM Day Virtual Events

  POSTED ON: Saturday, March 20, 2021 12:00 AM by Sarah Durkin

Sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and Naval Academy Foundation, Girls Only STEM Day workshops are designed to introduce middle school girls to a wide range of opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math fields. In March 2021, virtual programs were held for middle school girls including a webinar event and interactive school group sessions.

On Saturday March 20, the USNA STEM Center held a two-hour live, interactive webinar for middle school girls. The event was attended by 320 students from the local Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC region, as well as 35 additional states and DoD military-connected students in 7 overseas countries. A list of household supplies was provided in advance so students could complete hands-on activities during the event. Twenty-four midshipmen STEM majors led students on screen in hands-on activities. Students learned about proper motion of the stars by examining images taken at Greenbury Point in Annapolis, MD. Activities included building a sextant for navigation, investigating center of gravity, exploring stability and launch angle of a rocket, and designing and building a shock absorbing system for a model Mars Lander. 

Girls Only STEM Day workshops were also provided as interactive virtual sessions for school groups to directly reach middle school girls from underserved communities. In coordination with champion teachers, the virtual events were held for students at Thomas Johnson Middle School in Prince Georges' County, MD and Sisters Academy in Asbury Park, NJ. Seventeen midshipmen mentors led four sessions in topics including bioengineering, alternative energy, applied math, logic and reasoning, binary code, and cryptography. Students were given a list of household supplies to gather in advance so they could participate in the hands-on activities. The engaging activities challenged students to develop their problem solving and critical thinking skills while exposing them to real world applications and opportunities for STEM careers.


Category: General Interest

Press Contact

STEM Center
  usnastem@usna.edu
  410-293-5461