Girls get chance to learn about science on campus

Alejandra Fraga and Natalie Hanson|February 4, 2018

Students in one team prepare to test their “blood” samples for a DNA experiment. Photo credit: Natalie Hanson

Chico State hosted a STEM Girl Mayhem for middle school age girls Saturday.


The event took place in three buildings on campus starting in Colusa Hall from 8 a.m. until 3 p.m. It offered activities for middle school girls to learn about STEM careers and science.

“We want girls from all backgrounds to recognize their potential and have the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities and meet role models in STEM disciplines,” stated a press release.

“We have three different exploration sessions,” said Heather Quilici, a coordinator for the STEM event. “One is a hands-on science education lab that is a CSI demonstration of how to gather evidence and DNA, the other one is in the physics lab where they are learning about lasers, and the (third) one… is learning about 3D printers and engineering technology.”

Quilici
Heather Quilici helped coordinate the STEM event. Photo credit: Natalie Hanson

Many faculty, staff and students were able to help throughout the event.

Lasers
Michael Doris shows one team how to prepare for their laser experiment. Photo credit: Natalie Hanson

“We hope that we can inspire some love for science for these young students,” said Joseph Pechkis, a faculty member.

Alejandra Fraga and Natalie Hanson can be reached at [email protected] or @alifragster on Twitter.