Sinclair Community College Empowers High School Students Through Annual Women in STEM Institute

Sinclair College welcomed 23 young women from high schools throughout the Dayton region during the annual Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (WiSTEM) Institute. Sinclair’s WiSTEM Institute was held June 27th through July 1st.

The annual WiSTEM Institute is open to girls who are entering grades 10, 11, and 12 and provides an opportunity to learn about STEM fields. Each day, participants engaged in hands-on lab sessions to learn about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This year’s theme was “Global Climate Change and Our Role in Sustainability.” Students participated in two interactive lab sessions each day and explored the STEM labs found at Sinclair College. This year’s lab sessions included:

Automotive Technology: Automotive Technology for Sustainable Mobility
Mathematics: Vehicles and Sustainability
Geology: It’s Not Easy Being Green
Biology: Declining Biodiversity and Ocean Acidification
Electronics Engineering Technology: Catch the Solar Bug
Mechanical Engineering Technology: Sustainability in Additive Manufacturing
Aviation Technology: Aviation Technology Role in Climate Change and Sustainability
Computer Aided Manufacturing: Manufacturing Going Green

“Sinclair’s WiSTEM Institute is an incredible opportunity to expose young women to exciting and rewarding career opportunities in STEM,” said Marita K. Abram, WiSTEM Chair – Sinclair College. “Sinclair’s dedicated faculty and staff share their knowledge and passion to inspire these young women and introduce them to our state-of-the-art facilities and labs on campus.”

The 23 participants represented a dozen high schools in the Dayton region.

Four representatives from HEAPY’s Women in Engineering Group served as keynote speakers and shared personal and inspiring stories about careers in engineering. In addition, key partners from AFRL and Mimecast IT Security spoke to participants about their professional and academic journeys to STEM careers.

The grant funded institute was first established in 1994 as the Women in Engineering Technology (WIET) Institute. Originally, the program was designed to introduce female high school students to the many different areas of engineering technology. In 2008, the Institute was renamed WiSTEM and the focus was shifted to include the many other programs in STEM fields represented at Sinclair.

The Institute concluded with a lunch banquet with parents and families. Students gave presentations about each session and also shared highlights and pictures from the Institute. All students completing the Institute received a Certificate of Completion and a group photo.

For more information on Sinclair’s WiSTEM Institute, visit Sinclair.edu/WiSTEM.

Photo:
Sinclair’s WiSTEM participants give a presentation about what they learned during the week-long event.