A group of Utica Community Schools female students are raving about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
Courtesy of the Michigan Chapter of the Women in Defense, 21 UCS students experienced the Rave Cave - a non-profit organization that promotes education, research & development, and scientific discovery through state-of-the-art environments and cutting edge technology.
"This was an opportunity for high school age ladies interested in a STEM career to view examples of creativity, hard work, and collaboration come to fruition," said Utica Academy for International Studies teacher Jayme Pfannes.
Students were able to experience, with assistance from TARDEC, how a 3D virtual environment can impact product design, development and manufacturing of vehicles, medical advancements and space exploration.
Students were also able to tour Wyle, a company that provides high tech services for the aerospace, life science and information systems industries and participate in small roundtable career discussions with successful female entrepreneurs and professionals in the defense industry.
Students participated from the Utica Center for Science and Industry, Eisenhower High School and the Utica Academy for International Studies. UCS staff sponsors included Pfannes, Dyann Pugliese, Greg Feldcamp and Rachael Kasperek.
The program was sponsored by local business and municipal organizations such as RAVE CAVE, the City of Sterling Heights Wyle, the Michigan Chapter of Women In Defense, the United States Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC).
Denice Gerstenberg, STEM director of WID and City Development Manager for the City of Sterling Heights, said the sponsors recognize "a concerted effort to establish and invest in programs that create and develop Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) talent can have a significant and long-term positive impact on our local economy."
