Supporting Girls Through Science

The UA Women in Science and Engineering program's "Expanding Your Horizons" conference will inform middle school and high school girls about some of the nation's most high-demand fields.

Hundreds of girls from middle schools and high schools in various parts of the state will convene at The University of Arizona this month for a conference created to connect girls to the sciences.

The UA's Women in Science and Engineering program is hosting "Expanding Your Horizons" conference, which is now in its 27th year, at the UA on March 28. The daylong conference, which is sponsored by Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold/Sierrita Operations.

Within the last five years, more than 900 girls attending more than 20 schools across Arizona have participated in the conference, said Carly Thomsen, event coordinator for the Women in Science and Engineering program, or WISE.

The program is run out of the UA women's studies department and charges a minimal fee to cover lunch during the conference. Young women are invited to register through Wednesday by visiting the WISE Web site.

During the conference, the girls are engaged in active scientific workshops and have a chance to interact with UA students, faculty and professionals working in science, engineering and technology fields. Participants, who will come mostly from southern Arizona but also other parts of Arizona, will learn about marine biology, forensics, astronomy and robotics, among other topics, Thomsen said.

"Nationwide, the number of women in engineering-, science-, math- and technology-related fields is disproportionately lower than that of men," she said.

"While girls show academic proficiency in these content areas, they often opt out of participating," Thomsen added. "This conference seeks to reverse this trend by targeting pre-teen and teenage girls in response to research showing that girls often disengage from science, math and technology at this age."