The team at Queen’s Connections Engineering Outreach and the Women in Science and Engineering student group (Instagram / Facebook) are combining efforts this year to present a two-day event exclusively for local branches of the Girl Guides of Canada.
Developed by the Ontario Network of Women in Engineering, the annual “badge day” provides the youth outreach teams from five Ontario-based universities the opportunity to present hands-on STEM workshops with girls in their regions on Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7.
Lindsay Jones is an outreach coordinator with the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science who will facilitate the weekend program. “On Saturday we’re working with both ages,” she said. “We’ll have a live session for Sparks and Brownies at 2:30 and then another live session for Girl Guides at 3:30. On Sunday the Sparks and Brownies live session will be at 1:30, and the Guides again at 3:30pm.”
“We’ll be exploring the theme of diversity in STEM, different people in careers in STEM, throughout our live discussions, and club presentations. And there's also going to be games and prizes as well.”
Scott Compeau, the Manager of the Connections Engineering Outreach team, sees this as an opportunity to create a longer lasting association with the local Girl Guides branches. “What we are hoping to do is work with the local Girl Guides throughout the year, and run smaller STEM activities that will lead up to this big culminating event that happens every March. We’d like to have more of a working relationship with Girl Guides.”
Capacity is 100 participants, and registrations are closing in on that number, but organizers say there is room for more. Because this two-day event will take place on Google Classroom, local participants will receive in the mail material kits on the days leading up to the weekend of March 6 and 7 (non-local participants are asked to gather the materials on their own).
Interested groups and individuals who register at this point will receive an email with a list of materials they may pick up on the Queen’s campus prior to March 6 in order to fully take part in the activities. The badges will be mailed out afterwards.
Register here.