Annual SheTech Explorer Day Allows Girls to See Themselves in Tech
”The way you get inspired isn’t by looking. It’s by doing.”
Those are the words of Cydni Tetro, president of the Women Tech Council, during the organization’s fourth annual SheTech Explorer Day, held at Utah Valley University. SheTech Explorer Day takes Tetro’s words and brings them to life. 1,200 Utah high school girls spent part of their Friday packed into a loud room filled with nearly 40 company booths, all vying to engage their attention and inspire their creativity.
“You don’t get to have a booth here unless there’s something the girls can do,” said Tetro.
The participating companies seemed to have taken the requirement as a challenge. Girls, their hair standing on end, shocked each other to diffuse static electricity while learning from IM Flash. Lucid Software took an opportunity to teach girls about critical step-by-step logic in coding by asking teams of girls to quickly write out the steps to making a peanut butter sandwich, and then acting on their steps exactly. Adobe showcased mBots coded with MIT Scratch. Fog cannons, instant snow, elephant toothpaste, robot arms—all had a place within the crowded booths, aiming to not only teach, but engage the participants.
“We’ve been a sponsor of SheTech since the beginning. We love the fact that they focus on the biggest demographic that’s missing in STEM fields and industry,” said Todd Russell, academic relations and intern program manager for IM Flash. “Our first year, it felt like a bunch of companies having career fair booths. Not very interactive—more informative, and that’s it. But it has progressed over the years into something fantastic. The kids get to have a hands-on experience and discover for themselves that science is cool and fun.”
By Adva Biton, Utah Business