INL hosts hands-on workshops for young women - East Idaho News
Education

INL hosts hands-on workshops for young women

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IDAHO FALLS — Eighth-grade girls from all over east Idaho gathered at the Energy Innovation Laboratory to get hands-on experience in the sciences on Friday.

Each year Idaho National Laboratory hosts an annual My Amazing Future event for girls between the ages of 13 and 14 to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Businesses from around eastern Idaho participate in the full day event offering 17 learning sessions or workshops in physics, chemistry, biology, communication, math and engineering.

“It’s really exciting you see them come alive and just engage with us,” said Brian Ziel, marketing specialist at Mountain View Hospital.

Ziel and others hosted a station where girls could participate in a hip replacement surgery simulation. Young women dressed up in full surgery attire and were walked through steps of the operation with really tools and models.

“There really is something to be said about getting the girls out of the classrooms once in a while and putting a power drill in their hand and a bone in the other, and letting them just practice,” Ziel said.

The program is in its ninth year. It brings in over 150 girls from Idaho Falls, Blackfoot, Firth, Fort Hall and Pocatello. Each girl is selected by her school to participate in the yearly event.

Taylor Thornton, 13, said she’s enjoyed the experience so far.

“It shows younger women that they’re capable of more than what they think they can do, and that they have an opportunity to be more outgoing than they think they should be,” Taylor said.

Michelle Bingham, INL university partnerships manager, said this event is great for girls interested these disciplines.

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“There really is a shortage of women in the STEM fields, and so we really wanted to have this program that’s focused on the young women,” Bingham said. “Really what we want to do is just inspire the girls to look at different careers and different areas that they can go into.”

Anna-Maria McGowan, senior engineer for Complex Systems Design at NASA Langley, spoke via webcast during the event. McGowan, who has more than 23 years of experience in aerospace research and leadership, talked about the challenges and opportunities in her field and answered the girls’ questions.

The event was organized by employees from INL with help from the Idaho Women in Nuclear and the Idaho chapter of the American Nuclear Society.

INL officials are planning on hosting more STEM activities in the future. To learn more go to INL.gov, or its Facebook page.

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