Choosing a career path isn’t something that happens overnight for most students. For many, it’s a years-long endeavor that develops as they study different subjects in school. Some careers are more well known than others, and some students might need a push in the right direction to discover a field that might interest them.
Women in Science is an annual conference that encourages young women to pursue post-high school careers in STEM fields. Over 300 middle school and high school girls attend each year. A majority of these girls are students in Aberdeen, but attendees come from Warner, Mellette, Northville, Mobridge, Selby, Frederick, Britton, Hecla, Huron, and Ellendale. While Women In Science has been held in a few different sites over the years, its home is here at Northern State University.
The first Women in Science conference was held in 2002, when the late Bill Tallman, who was the Meteorologist In Charge with the National Weather Service, had attended a Women in Science event in Wyoming and introduced the idea to Aberdeen fellow staff members Amy Parkin and Lisa Johnsen. The co-creators, along with Rose Des Camps, helped with the very first conference and have continued to work with the program. Since its origins, it has continued to expand here in Aberdeen as well as to other areas of South Dakota.
“It was very local the first year,” Des Camps said.
Most speakers that were invited to the first few conferences were from Aberdeen and the immediate area. As interest in the program grew, Women In Science has invited women from across the Midwest. Des Camps said that finding speakers with a local connection to South Dakota is important – many speakers were raised in South Dakota or attended school here.
A board of ten to fourteen women raise funds, find speakers, and organize the event each year. When choosing speakers, the board members try to include a variety of occupations in STEM. They also work with teachers and local schools to gauge interest.
“Some kids don’t know about these professions,” Des Camps said, “and some of these fields had no women. Female dentists and doctors were unusual when I was growing up. Now there are role models you didn’t have before.”
Interest in Women In Science continued to grow, and naturally, the attendance numbers grew with it. More speakers were invited and breakout sessions were introduced. A few years ago, the board members agreed that there needed to be a cap on attendance.
“We had to make a decision,” Des Camps said. “The breakout sessions were a big part of that. It’s easier to participate in smaller groups.”
At the beginning of each conference, students are welcomed with a welcome video from our congressional delegates and speakers are introduced. Brochure materials are handed out to each attendee while the small group sessions and speakers are introduced. Each student chooses four breakout sessions to attend. The breakout sessions are informal, small-group experiences with hands-on activities and participation. After a break for lunch, the girls attend the keynote presentation, and questions are highly encouraged.
Des Camps said that the students have been active participants and are eager to learn during Women In Science.
“They do a good job listening,” she said. “They’re very involved and they’re high performers that want to be there.”
Students learn about each speaker’s profession, and many of the speakers discuss the education and training that is required for their job. The students like to hear their stories, and their advice has been very helpful for some of them.
“Girls appreciate it when they say ‘I didn’t know what I wanted to do.’ Some girls see things they didn’t know about,” Des Camps said.
“Many of them say that they didn’t make up their mind right away or changed their mind,” Christina Heiberger said. “There are many different paths that the girls can take.”
While the program is open to middle and high school students, Women in Science may make larger influences on middle school students. High school students may already be involved in science and math coursework and may be narrowing their future plans. Middle schoolers have not committed to academic choices and future career paths.
“It has been enjoyable to watch it flourish,” Des Camps said.
For more information, contact Rose Des Camps at descamps1@abe.midco.net, visit northern.edu/wis, or their Facebook page at Women In Science – Aberdeen, SD. Women In Science welcomes volunteers, speaker ideas, and donations. A special thanks goes out to their sponsors at Sanford, NSU, 3M, National Weather Service, and Aberdeen Area Medical Foundation.
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