Expanding Your Horizons

Conference Offers Science, Tech, Math Exploration for Middle School Girls
April 12, 2012
nature

Want to create your own amusement park ride? How about build your dream school? Do you know what it takes to become a veterinarian? Or what about design and create a story using 3D animation?

These are just few of the fun hands-on workshops offered during the 20th annual Expanding Your Horizons Conference for 7th and 8th grade girls being held on Saturday, April 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Sonoma State University.

The EYH conference is designed to encourage young women to explore professions that require degrees in science, technology, engineering and math and prepare them for 21st-century careers. Students will choose three sessions from more than 17 fun and interactive workshops on topics ranging from veterinary medicine, computer animation, architecture, aviation, medicine, money management, and many more! Each workshop will be led by a successful professional who will share information on what her job involves, how she became interested in the field, and what education and skills are required.

Sonoma State's own will be participating to make the event possible.

Workshop leaders from SSU include:

Lynn Cominsky, Professor and Chair, Physics and Astronomy - "Race to Build Your Own Satellite"

Suzanne Rivoire, Associate Professor of Computer Science - "Developing Computer Animations with Alice"

Deborah Roberts, Associate Professor of Nursing - "WIN at Nursing"

Michelle Goman, Assistant Professor of Geography - "Got Mud?"

Cassie Olivares and Vannessa Bascherini in Academic Talent Search, and
Brigitte Lahme are assisting with facilities.

A workshop will also be available for parents and educators that will
enable them to help their daughters and students make informed decisions
as they approach high school and college. Topics include: college
admission process; A Day in the Life: High School Society; the role of
social media in high school (Facebook, Twitter, etc.); and teen health
and fitness.

The conference is presented by Agilent Technologies, Medtronic, SRJC and
SSU. Local sponsors include American Association of University Women -
Healdsburg and Petaluma Chapters, Girl Scouts of Northern California and
national sponsors Google, Seagate, and Symantec.