Middle school girls from the surrounding area will get the chance to explore STEM careers at the 10th annual Expanding Your Horizons workshop Saturday, Oct. 22, at Wichita State University ’s Hubbard Hall.

This one-day event introduces middle school girls to a variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas.

Attendees will meet STEM role models, participate in hands-on activities and learn more about careers in those fields.

The registration fee of $15 includes interactive track workshops, lunch, T-shirt and a WSU bag.

The deadline to register is Oct. 18.

WSU faculty, staff and students volunteer to be the role models by organizing the workshops in their STEM areas (Society of Women Engineers, ACS Chemistry Club, Environmental Finance Center, Molecular Diagnostics Lab, etc.). There are also community partners (Evergy, Spirit Aerosystems, Koch Industry, AccuWeather, Pfizer, etc.) that support EYH through donations of volunteer-led workshops and funding.

According to the American Association of University Women, "women currently make up only 28% of the STEM workforce, and men vastly outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college. This gender gap is particularly high in some of the fastest-growing and highest-paid jobs of the future, like computer science and engineering."  Yet, the foundation for a STEM career is laid early in life and with fewer role models, girls may see male-dominated cultures as unattractive. 

EYH promotes career exploration in fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for young women. The purpose of the event is to inspire girls from all backgrounds to recognize their potential and pursue opportunities in STEM.