Kootenay Girls Will Hear From Leading Women in Health Care & STEAM on International Women’s Day!
Quantum Leaps: Girls in STEAM and Leadership Conference is a virtual and FREE event for all girls in the Kootenay Boundary in grades 8 to 12. Organized by GLOWS (the Kootenay Association for Science & Technology’s youth program), this virtual conference is a community-led initiative taking place on March 8 from 3:30 -8 pm PST. Participants in this engaging interactive online conference will meet and listen to female STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) professionals and learn about their inspiring journeys, remarkable achievements and industry insights.
The theme for International Women’s Day 2022 is #BreakTheBias, urging us to imagine a gender equal world. This year’s event will help girls realize that together we can forge women’s equality as we raise awareness against bias, take action for equality and celebrate women’s achievements. Aligning with this year’s theme, GLOWS celebrates women in STEAM and aims to inspire, educate and introduce participants to a variety of STEAM-focused education and career pathways led by women. At Quantum Leaps 2022, we’re going to #BreakTheBias even further by enhancing the conversation around gender gaps and highlighting the different roles women can play in healthcare.
After the tremendous success of last year’s virtual event and still in the midst of a global pandemic, Quantum Leaps will once again be utilizing the web platform, Gather, to host this year’s event. GLOWS continues to emphasize the importance of connection and belonging and highlight regional relationship-building opportunities. This interactive platform will allow participants to move around the virtual space with a 2D avatar and interactions with their webcam and microphone are possible when they’re in the same virtual space as another participant.
“The focus for this year’s event is to showcase women who have broken the bias, taking non-traditional routes to work in health-related fields traditionally underserved by women,” said Melanie Fontaine, KAST’s Executive Director. “ KAST is thrilled to be supporting Kootenay girls in grades 8-12 as they navigate career opportunities in STEAM.”
When participants register, they’ll have the opportunity to “choose their own adventure” for a custom Quantum Leaps experience.
Keynote Speaker:
The Possibilities of Practicing Medicine – Dr. Shelina Musaji, Family Physician Kaslo
Speakers:
Statistics to Stories – Michelle Spencer
Pathway to a PHD: Biomedical Engineering – Jennifer Sun
Engineering Environmental and Human Health – Anne Simonen
Health: How Video Games help us channel our emotions, skills and habits – Aura Romay
Online Harassment and You – Jae Euteneier
From Music to Medical: It’s Okay if You Don’t Know! – Emily Lankhorst
Pathways to Health Entrepreneurship – Cindy Lazenby
Safety + the Trades – A Lifelong Journey – Gabrielle Herle + Nicole Wiet Health
Panel Discussion:
Discover Rural Pre-Medicine – Takaia Larsen with current Rural Pre-Medicine Program Students & Alumni
To learn more about Quantum Leaps 2022: Girls in STEAM & Leadership Conference, visit www.kast.com/quantumleaps.
