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YORKTOWN, N.Y. -- Mildred E. Strang Middle School and IBM joined forces Tuesday to show female students about the many opportunities open to them in typically male-dominated fields of science, math and technology.
The annual after-school program split students into groups led by IBM women facilitators to make products such as lip gloss, body wash, perfume, pocketbooks, shoes and more. The facilitators then guided the student teams through the creation of presentations to introduce their products, including what they used to make the products, marketing plans, etc.
“This workshop is a great opportunity for girls to work closely with the women from IBM and to learn more about what is available to them in the field of technology,” said Megan Kalogris, a science teacher at MESMS. “It is such a positive experience for everyone involved and is also a lot of fun.”
The “Women in Technology Workshop” debuted at the school 1999. The program is specifically designed to spark an interest in science, math and technology, and workshop activities focus building an awareness of career opportunities for women. It is a goal the workshop has successfully achieved, said Marge Sohr, coordinator of Women in Technology for IBM.
“Most of the time we’ll hear from a parent,” Sohr said. “They say my daughter went into this in college because they had interest when you came.”
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