Nearly 100 elementary school students recently attended Northumberland County’s first-ever event for young women interested in exploring careers in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM).
Presented last Thursday (April 24) by Junior Achievement Northern and Eastern Ontario (JA-NEO) and the Business & Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland (BECN), FemSTEAM drew local female students in Grade 7 and 8 for a day of hands-on learning, mentorship, and discovery around future career opportunities in STEAM.
“By helping students understand and learn more about the wide range of careers in STEAM within Northumberland County, we are helping them to take a step forward to an exciting and inspiring career path later in life that will only benefit them and the community at large,” said JA-NEO president and CEO John McNutt in a media release.
FemSTEAM was originally founded nearly a decade ago by Sofie Andreou, Rhonda Barnet, and Dawn Hennessey, who were driven by a shared vision to introduce more young girls to careers in STEAM and foster a culture of inclusion and encouragement in these fields, a media release noted.
As Northumberland’s FemSTEAM event was held during Earth Week, students learned about local STEAM businesses through workshops focused on sustainability and environmental awareness.
“The most impactful outcome of the event was seeing firsthand how meaningful the experience was for the students,” Kailyn Coupland, business development coordinator with the BECN and Northumberland County’s economic development department, told kawarthaNOW.
“They asked thoughtful questions during (a question-and-answer panel), many inspired by careers they had never heard of before, (and were fully engaged) in the hands-on workshops learning new skills,” Coupland said. “Students were actively exploring, learning, and building new skills in real time. They were also gaining confidence and awareness of future possibilities.”
To kick off the day, participants attended a panel discussion with local STEAM entrepreneurs at OfficeLinx in Port Hope. They were introduced to the business owners who would later lead hands-on workshops throughout the day, and had the opportunity to learn what inspired each entrepreneur to pursue a career in STEAM. The session included time for students to ask questions and engage with the panellists.
After the panel, students had the opportunity to participate in four workshops.
Christine Benson, owner of the A Journey Through the Arts art school in Port Hope, led a printmaking workshop where students worked together to carve, ink, and print an inspirational botanical-themed poster to take home.
During a science of flowers workshop from Cold Springs Flower Farm in Cobourg, students not only learned how nature intuitively engineers survival strategies in species to support ecosystems and promote diversity, but explored the biology of pollination, the chemistry of flower pigments, and the math behind petal symmetry, with each student taking home a potted seedling and a tulip as a keepsake from the event.
At Dancing Bee Equipment in Port Hope, students had the option to participate in one of two workshops.
One workshop introduced students to the world of beekeeping, including how bees create hives, the roles of bees in bee colonies, the critical role of bees in the environment, and how nectar is harvested to make honey, and the other focused on beeswax, including its many uses, its natural properties, and its environmental benefits, with each student handcrafting a beeswax candle to take home.
Coupland said the feedback she heard from students, such as “I learned I can do anything,” best captured the value of the experience.
“The event not only introduced students to new and non-traditional career paths, but also helped them recognize their own potential and sparked excitement for what’s possible in their future,” she said, adding that the event’s focus on empowerment while building skills complements BECN’s other programming to introduce entrepreneurship, including the “My Future My Career” Kids Entrepreneurship Program and Summer Company Program.
“By exposing young women to real-world experiences, future career opportunities, and strong mentorship, we can help build a more inclusive and empowered community for the next generation of professional women,” Coupland added.
The event was offered as part of BECN’s “She Owns It” women’s entrepreneurship series. This annual series offers workshops, seminars and networking opportunities for women of all ages in Northumberland, to support them in achieving their business, entrepreneurship and leadership goals.
Each year, the series culminates with the annual “She Owns It” women’s entrepreneurship conference, a professional development conference for women focused on encouraging empowerment, motivation, and networking. More information about this year’s conference will be released in the coming months, BECN noted.
