The annual Expanding Your Horizons educational event for young women is scheduled at NDSU on April 12. The nationwide project for young women in grades 7-9 encourages and develops career interests in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM. It is designed to help overcome a history of limited participation by women in those fields.
“This event is a great way to introduce young women to the college environment and to different careers and fields,” said Lisa McNamara, program director, noting more than 300 participants have registered for this year’s event. “Expanding Your Horizons began at NDSU in 1979. Since that time, we have had a total of 23,781 girls attend the event.”
The one-day conference offers more than 40 fun, educational hands-on workshop sessions for young women. Faculty and local professionals lead the workshops and provide participants the opportunity to meet and form personal contacts with women working in traditionally male occupations.
Some of the many sessions include “Aquatic Ecology and Invasive Species,” “Economics in Action,” “History Mysteries,” “Creating Tornadoes,” “You Can Do Rocket Science” and “The Story of Soil.”
Registration for the event is scheduled for April 12 from 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in Bentson-Bunker Fieldhouse. Two sessions are planned for both the morning and afternoon, with the conference ending at 3:40 p.m. Attendees are urged to dress for the weather because they will be walking from building to building.
For more information, contact McNamara at lisa.mcnamara@ndsu.edu. For a registration information and release form, contact NDSU Distance and Continuing Education at ndsu.dce@ndsu.edu or 701-231-7015.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.