APL Hosts ‘Girl Power: Reach for the Sky’

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is hosting a free introduction to careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for middle and high school girls on Sunday, March 11, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on APL’s Laurel, Md., campus. “Girl Power: Reach for the Sky” is a partnership between APL, the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County and the Maryland Space Business Roundtable. This is the fourth annual Girl Power event, which last year attracted nearly 750 girls and their parents.

Attendees will have opportunities to meet and talk with professional women in their fields of interest, participate in hands-on STEM activities and see displays on careers in aerospace, computer science, electrical engineering, geology, information technology, engineering, space science and more. A science show will also demonstrate how science can be fun.

“The country is depending on our youth to do well in math and science and embrace STEM careers,” says Dr. Ralph Semmel, director of APL. “Participating in ‘Girl Power: Reach for the Sky’ is a great way for young women to prepare themselves for the technical careers that are so critical to our future.”

STEM outreach efforts at APL date back to 1976. Today, its high school Gifted and Talented Intern/Mentor Program, NASA education outreach programs, Girl Power, Python programming class, Maryland MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program and college prep program engage more than 4,000 students each year.

Parents, families and siblings are invited to Girl Power. The expo will be held in APL’s Kossiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Md. Directions can be found at www.jhuapl.edu. In the event of bad weather or for additional information, call 443-778-6125. No registration is required.