Middle School Girls to Discover the Excitement of STEM Careers at SMART Girls Summit

LYNN, MA. – The non-profit community organization Girls Incorporated of Lynn will honor women’s achievements in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and aim to inspire girls to participate in those fields at its 11^th annual SMART - Science, Math and Relevant Technology - Summit at the nonprofit’s Lynn headquarters on Wednesday, May 29, 2013. 

The SMART Girls Summit is part of the Operation SMART national Girls Inc. program whose mission is to engage girls in science, math, and relevant technology.  Operation SMART targets girls beginning at age 5 and intensifies the efforts for girls ages 12-14, when many girls begin to lose interest and confidence in SMART fields. Despite the anticipated growth rate in STEM jobs being almost double that of non-STEM jobs, women make up only 31% of degrees awarded in STEM despite comprising almost 60% of today’s college attendees. 

The Summit will feature a keynote speech from Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center.  “Massachusetts is the global leader in life sciences, and ensuring that our state has a strong pipeline of skilled workers in STEM fields is imperative for the growing innovation economy,” says Dr. Windham-Bannister.  “I applaud Girls Inc. of Lynn for its work in educating young women in STEM fields and am excited to be a part of this year’s summit.”

Highlighting the Summit will be a demonstration from the Boston-based Science from Scientists, Massachusetts' leading in-class science enrichment program, in which working scientists teach and inspire students about the wonders, possibilities and fun of science and experimentation. “Girls Inc. and the SMART Girls Summit are exactly the kind of outreach we are looking for,” said Dr. Erika Ebbel Angle, the Founder and Chairman of the Board at Science from Scientists. “We see so much potential in young people, and a little excitement and inspiration can encourage them to further study science and explore a career in STEM fields.”

The Summit includes presentations by notable women in STEM including Valerie Avila, Senior Integration and Test Engineer, Draper Laboratories,  Stephanie Drummond, Joyce Chow, Elaine O’Neill, Marina Bagot, Heather Caplan, Andrea Cox and Sarah Dunn, Engineers, GE Aviation, Katherine Stanchak, Mechanical Engineer, U.S. Department of Transportation-Volpe Center, Valerie Perini, Scientist, Northeastern University-Marine Science Center, Cynthia Matos, Jennifer Zimmerman, Suzanne Yoeuth and Joy Rebustes, Engineers, Keurig  and Carmela Mascio, Senior Research Associate, Cubist Pharmaceuticals.

About Girls Inc. of Lynn: Girls Incorporated of Lynn inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through life-changing programs and experiences that help girls navigate gender, economic, and social barriers. Research-based curricula, delivered by trained, mentoring professionals in a positive all-girl environment equip girls to achieve academically; lead healthy and physically active lives; manage money; navigate media messages; and discover an interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. Last year, Girls Inc. of Lynn served over 1,384 youth ages 5 to 18. 50% of these girls live in families earning less than $25,000 a year. Girls Inc. of Lynn is a local affiliate of the national Girls Inc. organization which provides vital educational programs to millions of girls in America and Canada, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas.

About Science From Scientists: Science from Scientists is a Boston-based non-profit founded in 2002 by Erika Ebbel Angle—MIT graduate with her doctorate in Biochemistry from Boston University School of Medicine. The organization strives to improve science and technology awareness in local middle school and late elementary students by using scientists to bring STEM directly to youth. The goal is to ensure our nation’s youth is competitive globally in STEM fields through exciting, informative and engaging training by practicing scientists. Erika says, “Science from Scientists gives all students the chance to experience the joy of doing real experiments, making real discoveries and appreciating how amazing our world is.” For more information on Science from Scientists visit http://sciencefromscientists.org/