Johns Hopkins APL to Host “Girl Power” STEM Event on March 6

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) will host “Girl Power,” a free opportunity for middle and high school girls to learn about careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), on Sunday, March 6, from 2 to 5 p.m. on APL’s campus in Laurel, Maryland.

Celebrating its 10th year, Girl Power is a collaborative effort between APL, the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County, and the Maryland Space Business Roundtable. Nearly 500 girls, along with their families, attended last year’s program.

APL’s Alice Bowman, mission operations manager for NASA’s New Horizons mission to Pluto, will kick off the event. Bowman and several other APL scientists and engineers will also be on hand to discuss New Horizons and other Laboratory projects, and members of the APL Drama Club will portray historical women in science.

The event also features scientists and engineers from Northrop Grumman, BioEYES, NASA, and other government and community organizations. Attendees can learn about gardening on Mars, Earth’s climate, 3-D imaging, and STEM careers in the FBI and NSA, as well as work with engineers to make magnetic slime, circuits and ultraviolet light bracelets. Workshops from the Women in Technology of Howard County Tech Council will cover 3-D printing, cybersecurity, nanotechnology and other topics.

APL’s STEM outreach efforts date back to 1976. Today, its related educational initiatives reach about 5,000 students and community residents yearly, through events like Girl Power, a computer programming class, the Maryland MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program, NASA education outreach programs, the ASPIRE high school mentoring program and APL’s College Prep Program.

“For 10 years, Girl Power has been a great way to spark the interests of young women in the subjects of science, technology, engineering and math,” said Dwight Carr, APL’s STEM program manager. “Introducing the next generation to an array of technical career possibilities is vital to our future.”

Girl Power will be held in APL’s Kossiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland. Families and the public are welcome to attend; maps and directions can be found at http://www.jhuapl.edu/aboutapl/visitor/directions.asp.

Girl Power is open to the media and offers photo, video and interview opportunities. If media are interested in attending, please register by sending an e-mail to Gina.Ellrich@jhuapl.edu by Friday, March 4, 12:00 p.m.

In the event of bad weather or for additional information, call 443-778-STEM (7836). Admission is free, and registration is not required.