Exploring STEM fields at 'Discover Your Future' event

By Diane VanDyke
One-hundred thirty-one girls in grades 5-8 attend the 'Discover Your Future' conference on March 7 at MCCC's Central Campus in Blue Bell to learn more about careers in STEM fields.

One-hundred thirty-one girls in grades 5-8 attend the 'Discover Your Future' conference on March 7 at MCCC's Central Campus in Blue Bell to learn more about careers in STEM fields.

The “Discover Your Future” conference presented by the American Association of University Women of Lansdale Branch and Montgomery County Community College immersed 131 girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics on Saturday, March 7, at MCCC’s Central Campus in Blue Bell.

Girls in grades 5-8 (from more than 30 school districts) had the opportunity to fly drones, race wrapped eggs, test DNA and develop “medicines” with Merck chemists. Workshops included engineering, conservation, architecture, microbiology, forensics, biology, optometry, physics, chemistry and mathematics topics.

The keynote speaker, Morgan Rollins, a junior at Temple University and founder of  TemPO (Temple Prosthetics and Orthopedics), challenged the girls to find and do something they liked. Rollins, who formerly played soccer but had to stop due to injuries, discovered she had a passion for biomechanics after working on a project building a 3-D bionic arm. 

“Discover Your Future” is a great opportunity for girls to imagine themselves in STEM careers. The American Association of University Women is a non-partisan advocacy organization dedicated to advancing gender equality for women and girls through research, education and advocacy.