Girls get the 'green light' to go STEM during program at Chatham's Eden Hall Campus

Making sure that women from all backgrounds are among the next generation of scientists and technology professionals was the guiding principal for a recent event at Chatham University’s Eden Hall Campus called Greenlight for Girls.

The Oct. 11 seminar and workshop for 125 girls from around the region was a collaboration between Chatham and Pittsburgh-based Covestro LLC that focused on introducing them to careers in careers in STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

More than 40 volunteers from Covestro guided the students through a series workshops that included how to make polymer worms, testing water for macroinvertebrate organisms and creating a prototype of a solar thermal system.

Participants also were challenged to create a “mission possible sustainability pledge” to think and act sustainably in their everyday lives.

“It is inspiring to see so many young women that are deeply engaged and enthusiastic about learning new STEM skills,” said Haakan Jonsson, Covestro’s chairman and president. “The need to bring more diversity into STEM fields is critically important, and I hope the experiences these young women take from today play a small role in encouraging them to continue a lifetime in STEM.”

Dr. Linda Johnson, who chair’s Chatham’s Environmental Science and serves as interim program director for sustainability at the university, said Greenlight for Girls’ hands-on STEM workshops “help girls build confidence, generate enthusiasm for science and parallel Chatham’s commitment to educating remarkable women.”

Greenlight for girls is an international non-profit organization with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, and the U.S. Since its inception in 2010, STEM programs have been conducted for more than 58,000 STEM students.

Melissa Rancourt, founder and board president of Greenlight for Girls, said the organization’s aim is to “redefine and reimagine STEM learning by continuously exploring how learning can be different.”

“These day-long events, which are driven in large part by female role models, are a valuable platform for young STEM adventurers to connect with their interests,” she said.