Johns Hopkins APL to Host “Girl Power,” STEM Event on March 12

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 12, from 2 to 5 p.m. on APL’s campus in Laurel, Maryland.

Celebrating its 11th year, Girl Power is a collaborative effort between APL, the Women in Technology of Howard County Tech Council, and the Maryland Space Business Roundtable. Nearly 600 girls, along with their families, attended last year’s program.

APL staff members Morgana Trexler and Brett Denevi, both recipients of the Maryland Science Center’s Outstanding Young Scientist Award, will kick off the event by talking about their work in STEM.

This year, APL’s Society of Women Engineers will be running five brand-new hands-on activities that will encourage student interest in engineering including: Project Pi (math), Paper Circuits (electrical engineering), Which One Is the Fairest of Them All? (social networking & data science), Bits and Bytes of Binary (computer science), and Comet Tails and KBOs (Space). Also, members of the APL Drama Club will portray historical women in science, and many other APL staff members will operate the event’s many booths and displays.

The event also features scientists and engineers from the NSA, BioEYES, FBI, the JHU Whiting School of Engineering, and other government and community organizations. Attendees can experience space travel with immersive technology as well as the magic of science and the science of magic, and can explore social networking and data science. Workshops from the Women in Technology of Howard County Tech Council will cover 3-D (additive) printing, cybersecurity 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, STEM Academy, the Maryland MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement) program, NASA education outreach programs, the ASPIRE high school mentoring program, and APL’s College Prep Program.

“Girl Power is a great way to introduce middle to high school aged girls to STEM and STEM professionals in a fun and energetic setting,” said Dwight Carr, APL STEM program manager. “We encourage everyone to bring your daughters, nieces, granddaughters and neighbors to this event. This might be an experience that changes the trajectory of their lives and careers.”

Girl Power will be held in APL’s Kossiakoff Center, 11100 Johns Hopkins Road, Laurel, Maryland. Families and the public are welcome to attend.

Girl Power is open to the media and offers photo, video and interview opportunities. If media is interested in attending, please register by sending an e-mail to Gina.Ellrich@jhuapl.edu by Thursday, March 9.

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