TechWomen|TechGirls ambassadors call for volunteers for statewide STEM program the week of November 12
TechWomen|TechGirls, an initiative of the New Hampshire High Tech Council (Council), will be celebrating the week of November 12th as the 2018 TechWomen Ambassadors Week. Now in its fourth year, the program is designed to help young women explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). During the program, eighth and ninth grade girls will be matched with women currently employed in the STEM fields for two-hour sessions where they will discuss what attracted them to STEM-related careers and why young women may want to consider these types of careers.
TechWomen|TechGirls is a forum focused on building a strong community of women who are enthusiastic about technology and supporting efforts for young women to explore STEM careers. Launched in early 2015, the committee has become an integral part of the Council’s outreach and engagement activities. The TechWomen Ambassadors Week organizers hope to borrow the group’s vast expertise to help inspire young women. Since its inception, TechWomen Ambassadors Week has reached over 1,600 young girls and engaged over 250 professionals and over 450 student volunteers. The effort is growing rapidly and this year’s programming expected to engage 1,000 young women across 11 to 14 locations, from about 25 New Hampshire schools.
“The TechWomen Ambassadors Week is really catching on as we continue to grow locations and schools statewide. With the number of TechGirl participants increasing yearly, we are looking for strong role models to serve as TechWomen volunteers,” said Carol Miller, TechWomen Ambassador committee co-chair and director of Broadband Technology for the NH Department of Business and Economic Affairs. “We are looking for women who are passionate about STEM and want to inspire girls to explore options they may not have considered before or were too intimidated to voice their opinions about. We want today’s professionals to show the professionals of tomorrow that careers in STEM are available, attainable, fun and rewarding.”
Throughout the week, sessions will take place in Nashua, Belmont, Tilton, Portsmouth, Lebanon, Manchester, Derry and Bedford and will kick-off with a 30-minute opening talk where students will hear from professionals in STEM fields. After, students will participate in small roundtable discussions designed to encourage aspirations towards STEM-related career goals and discuss ways to achieve them. The TechWomen Ambassadors committee is seeking volunteers in STEM, bio/medical and advanced manufacturing to serve as mentors and workshop leaders for this year’s programming.
Learn more about TechWomen|TechGirls online, or sign up to volunteer. For more information about volunteering, contact Melissa Jurkoic at [email protected].
Thank you to this year’s TechWomen Ambassadors Week sponsors:
