March 4, 2024 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Community College is the site of Junior Achievement’s Grand Rapids Girls’ Dream Fair: A STEM Experience this year.
The March 14 event seeks to inspire local middle-school girls to consider careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Girls attending will experience a day of mentoring, leadership, and education from a diverse group of women in STEM careers.
A series of inspirational speakers will begin the day’s events, followed by breakout sessions featuring JA’s It’s My Future program, a self-development curriculum. After lunch, a group of West Michigan STEM-focused businesses will gather for a career fair, before the event concludes with a STEM activity led by GRCC faculty.
“Because women are vastly underrepresented in STEM fields,” explained Sarah Caldwell, JA’s Director of Development, “the Girls’ Dream Fair aims to capture their interest at a critical phase in their development.”
“Only a third of the people in STEM careers are women. We’ve found that, by the time they reach high school, girls are already starting to self-select themselves out of these subjects,” she added. “It’s essential to reach them at a young age, because interest is the strongest indicator of whether a student will go on to study a STEM major in college.”
Kristi Haik, GRCC’s Dean of STEM, believes this partnership is a perfect fit.
“One of our goals at the School of STEM is to help these underrepresented students have access. We want to let local girls know that STEM careers are a possibility, and that they can pursue them at GRCC,” Haik said.
Caldwell hopes that students who attend the JA Girls’ Dream Fair: A STEM Experience will develop big career dreams, boost their self-esteem, and discover what’s possible for their future.
“JA is committed to providing youth with not only the skillset, but also the confidence to go on and do amazing things in their communities,” Caldwell said. “We are grateful to our volunteers and community partners that make this event possible.”
Though the event is already at capacity, volunteer and sponsorship opportunities are still available online. Find registration information for the Lakeshore Girls’ Dream Fair.
