STEM Career Conferences
2024 STEM Career Conference
Carol Clanton & Frances Rozner, 2024 Co-Chairs
Contact them HERE
The STEM Career Conference has been organized since 2003 by AAUW Long Beach and is currently held at the Sato Academy of Mathematics and Science, with the assistance of 60 adult volunteers plus student Sato Ambassadors who help welcome the girls to their campus. Attendance is by invitation only. AAUW Long Beach selects Title I LBUSD middle and K-8 schools for participation in the conference. The attendees are then recruited by teachers or counselors at their school. Attendance is limited to girls since women are still underrepresented in STEM careers and the mission of AAUW is to advance equity for women and girls. Through February 2024, 3,369 girls have participated in the event.
In 2015, the AAUW Long Beach branch launched a five-year longitudinal study in concert with the Long Beach Unified School District to determine the effectiveness of the AAUW Long Beach STEM Career Conference on middle school girls in their pursuit of math, science and technology throughout high school and their enrollment in college. That study, Energizing Potential, was completed in 2021 and is available for full review HERE on the AAUW California website. The branch is proud to report that the event is indeed making a lasting and positive difference in the lives of the Conference attendees.
The 20th Annual AAUW Long Beach STEM Career Conference for 7th and 8th grade girls was held on Friday, February 23, 2024 at the Sato Academy of Mathematics and Science. In attendance were 234 girls from ten Long Beach Unified School District Title I schools: Franklin Classical Middle School, Hamilton Middle School, Hughes Middle School, Jefferson Leadership Academies, Lindbergh STEM Academy, Muir Academy, Powell Academy for Success (K-8), Robinson Academy (K-8), Stephens Middle School, and Washington Middle School.
The 2024 Keynote Speaker was Alexxandra Hurtado, a CSULB graduate and an intern for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine at City of Hope, who shared the personal challenges she has faced pursuing her academic ambitions to become a doctor.
Keynote Speaker, Ms. Hurtado making a point
Applauding Keynote Speaker’s message
After the Plenary session, students attended two workshops each, where they actively participated with STEM professionals, gaining an understanding of the work involved and possible career paths, along with steps to achieving success. The 2024 workshops featured the following STEM careers: Aerospace Engineer, Architect, Environmental Engineer, Manufacturing/Biomechanical Engineer, Medical Imaging Technologist, Medical-Surgical Nurse, Optometrist, Software Developer, Speech-Language Pathologist, and Structural Engineer. A few photo examples of the activities are below.
Architect: Designing a 3-D school campus
Medical Imaging Technologist: Getting the feel of an ultrasound
Manufacturing/Biomechanical Engineer: Crash Test Impact Challenge with customized stock-car bumpers
Medical-Surgical Nurse: Listening to a heartbeat
Optometrist: Re-assembling a human eye model.
Speech-Language Pathologist: Testing the swallow in a mini feeding and swallowing exam
Structural Engineer: Creating a marshmallow spaghetti structure to withstand shaking on a bed of jello.
We are most grateful to our 2024 sponsors, whose support makes this Conference possible. In addition to monetary support, several are providing items for the girls’ conference bags and/or provided workshop speakers.
We also appreciate the Long Beach Post providing a story and a video about the 2024 Conference, which can be accessed HERE.