For 20 years, the WISE Science and Engineering Olympics has played a part in encouraging young girls from the region to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
This past Saturday, 120 girls from Sudbury and the surrounding area participated in the 20th annual event at Collège Boréal.
The Women in Science and Engineering (WISE) Science and Engineering Olympics is a free, education-centered event, which invites girls from grades 4-7 to participate in four group activities for the chance to win a variety of prizes. While most children are registered by a parent, teachers are also welcome to enroll their students, just as a pair of teachers from M'Chigeeng First Nation did this year.
Simone Hensher, vice-president of WISE Sudbury, said the group selected grades 4-7 because they found this demographic to have a lack of science-related events. WISE also "wanted to get girls interested as young as possible, (so they) can continue to work on those skills around science, math and technology,” she said.
"It's when you're young that you get to really exercise your brain and your creativity,” Hensher said. “You get a feel for what you're good at and want to know more about, (so you can) pursue that passion as they get older.”
The activities are designed by by the volunteers which host them, according to their field of experience and personal interest. While Hensher said the organizing committee's only mandate is that the activity relates to STEM, they have noticed an increase in technology and business-related content.
"Obviously as our lives are evolving, new technologies come and everything changes," said Negar Saeidi of WISE. "We try to keep our events up to date with what's out there."
For the 20th anniversary, the WISE Science and Engineering Olympics explored digital citizenship, entrepreneurship, the solar system and SNOLAB technology. Allowing participants to challenge their computer knowledge in a game of jeopardy, pitch their product to a team of “investors” and more than that, bond over a shared love of STEM.
This was an important aspect for Katherine Thompson Nelson, whose eldest daughter participated in all eligible years and younger daughter had her first experience at the WISE Science and Engineering Olympics this year. "(My oldest daughter) really enjoyed it because she's interested in science and when she was younger, there weren't a lot of programs for girls that were interested in science and engineering," said Thompson Nelson.
"Now I think there may be more, but she's really enjoyed the fact that she was participating in something with like-minded girls. It helps them to see that they're capable of doing more than they might think."
One of the critical aspects of the event is it's organized and run by women working within the STEM fields. Allowing girls to explore a career in the sciences, while getting to hear the real-life experience of those working within their field of interest.
The annual event appears to have had a considerable impact on the girls it welcomes, seeing a number of participants return year after year as well as speak to their experience years later, now as professionals within STEM. Talia Ceti of WISE in particular, said her experience in events such as the WISE Olympics inspired her to pursue her career in engineering - but not everyone is so lucky.
"I myself am in the field of mining engineering and I was always under the impression that this is a male-dominated field, which is (quickly changing)," said Negar Saeidi of WISE. Saeidi said a big part of her decision to join WISE, was to encourage girls to pursue their field of interest, regardless of it being a male-dominated field or otherwise.
Although there has been a significant effort to encourage female participation within the STEM fields, Hensher said "we are still largely under-represented, but we have definitely come a long way."
"For young ladies now, there are no limits and they don't feel there are any limits to their career options," said Hensher.
In honour of their 20th anniversary, organizers of the WISE Science and Engineering Olympics have asked past participants to share their experience and what it meant to them on social media with the hashtag #WISESudbury.
More information on WISE Sudbury Chapter and its many events, can be on their website or Facebook page.
