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BROUGHT TO YOU BY
MARCH 7, 2020
11am-3pm
Idlewild Country Club
19201 Dixie Highway Flossmoor, IL
DIRECTORY SPONSOR
TRANSPORTATION
SPONSOR
TECHNOLOGY SPONSOR
STEAM SHOWCASE SPONSOR
LUNCHEON SPONSOR
GIRLS STEAM AHEAD “Exploring Pathways”
March 7, 2020 / 11am-3pm
Idlewild Country Club, 19201 Dixie Highway
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Girls STEAM Ahead brings together 7th-12th grade female students from the Chicago Southland and Northwest Indiana with women who are studying and working in STEAM fields and is brought to you by Schneider Electric in partnership with Homewood Science Center and the Chicago Southland STEM Network.
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In addition, students may access the GSA Directory of professional mentors with support from Bank of America. Lunch at the event is provided by Enbridge, and the technology needed to host Girls STEAM Ahead is provided by Gallagher Asphalt. Students can explore their interests during the STEAM Showcase, thanks to Levenfeld Pearlstein, LLC. and transportation for school groups is provided by Flossmoor Service League.
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Additional support is provided by Homewood Florist and Homewood Business Association members have contributed raffle prizes.
Register online! Space is limited.
SUPPORT FROM
DONORS
PLATINUM $1000
Morrison Container Handling Solutions
GOLD $500
Burwood Group
SUPPORTER $150
New Birth Church of God in Christ
Pat Barker
TEAM WILLA
Donations dedicated to the late Katherine Johnson
"Girls are capable of doing everything men are capable of doing. Sometimes they have more imagination than men." - Katherine Johnson
Willa Lee
Valerie Sanchez
Sue VanAntwerp
Shelley Peck
Janice McNeill
Charles & Karen Novey
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Julie Dineen
Vanessa Williams
Joan Mackinnon
Sharon Bouchie
​Mindy McLean
Inita Harris
Marie E. Zadworny
Frances Johnson
Bridget Shears
Lincoln Williams
Linda D. McCarroll Stamm
The Villager Gift Shop
Eshani Lee
Nikki Dowell
Karen Coleman
Cecilia Jackson
Stephanie Cole
Jasen Lee
Pat Baker
Shirley Lynch
SPONSOR A GIRL $50
Friend of Homewood Science Center- 8 girls
PEO Sisterhood Chapter K A - 4 girls
Forest Preserve of Will County- 2 girls
Tonja Cook- 2 girls
Laurie & Herbert Rentschler
Kimberly Rushing
Seletta Nichols
Jo Greep
Urmi Kalokhe, MD
Audubon of Great Lakes
Leilani Shute
K. Christman
AGENDA
11:00am STEAM Showcase & Networking
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11:45am Welcome Address / Donna Miller, Cook County Board Commissioner, 6th District
introduced by Edie Dobrez, Homewood Science Center
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12:00pm Lunch
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12:15pm "Exploring Pathways" Ignite Talks / University of Chicago
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12:35pm Break
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1:00pm The power of playful learning and your future in STEM: Hands-on challenges
LEGO Education / Steffanie Forbes
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1:30pm DIY: Circuit Wands / Society of Women Engineers / Sheila Weston
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2:00pm Crushing your SMART Goal One Step at a Time / Schneider Electric
Girls STEAM Ahead Success / Dr. Andrea Brown-Thirston
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2:45pm Raffle & Evaluation
WELCOME
CRUSHING YOUR SMART GOAL ONE STEP AT A TIME
EXPLORING PATHWAYS
IGNITE TALKS
THE POWER OF PLAYFUL LEARNING & YOUR FUTURE IN STEM
DIY: CIRCUIT WANDS
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math
AN OPPORTUNITY
A FREE roundtable luncheon to celebrate STEAM
through networking and mentoring
For 7th-12th grade Girls
with an interest in learning about a career in STEAM
TO CONNECT
GENERATIONS
For Women
in STEAM careers and educational paths
Important registration information for
Girls STEAM Ahead
Register between Dec 15 to March 1
There is a wealth of STEAM interest and talent among our student and professional participants! We ask that registrants please take their commitment to attend Girls STEAM Ahead seriously. Space is limited. If you have registered for
Girls STEAM Ahead and cannot make it to the event, please contact hkelsven@homewoodsciencecenter.org
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Student Participants: We will confirm student participation through the parent or guardian email address provided in the application.
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Professional Participants: We will confirm professional participants through the email address provided in the application.
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All Participants: We will post the confirmed participants on this webpage no later than March 1st. If you do not receive an email from us regarding your participation, please check this webpage after March 1st to confirm your participation. If our Girls STEAM Ahead committee selected your work to be featured in our STEAM Showcase, we will send you an additional email regarding the details of your participation in the STEAM Showcase.
If you have any questions about your participation at Girls STEAM Ahead, please email hkelsven@homewoodsciencecenter.org.
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Your generosity creates opportunities
Girls STEAM Ahead
As a 501c3 non profit organization, Homewood Science Center and the Chicago Southland STEM Network are able to host
Girls STEAM Ahead because of your support!
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Women are underrepresented in STEAM fields.
Let's work together to change that!
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Please download our complete sponsorship packet for more details on how you can take part in creating opportunities at
Girls STEAM Ahead.
If you have questions and would like to discuss or
complete a sponsorship level that is over $1000,
please contact Edie Dobrez, Executive Director.
edobrez@homewoodsciencecenter.org
PAST EVENTS
2019 Keynote Speaker Vicki Repsholdt
A Chicago girl at heart, Vicki Repsholdt graduated from Columbia College in Chicago with a BA in broadcast journalism. Her first positions upon graduation included working in PR, as copywriter, and an account manager. Throughout her 25-year run at Schneider Electric, Vicki has served as a speech writer, business communications manager, marketing segment manager, distributor account manager, inventory manager, operations director, and currently, VP of Marketing for the U.S. Power division of Schneider Electric. Today, Vicki and her team at Schneider Electric work to promote an unparalleled offer of electric equipment and energy management solutions for homes, businesses, buildings, hospitals and facilities. Schneider Electric employs a creative mix of marketing tactics including the latest digital technology along with traditional marketing methods, to communicate and build relationships with electrical contractors, home builders, and really anyone who is interested in installing the electrical industry’s most innovative and reliable products.
AGENDA
11:00am STEAM Showcase & Networking
11:45am Welcome Edie Dobrez, Homewood Science Center
12:15pm Keynote Address Vicki Repsholdt, Schneider Electric
Introduced by Nicole Caceres, Schneider Electric
12:45pm Sky Floater Challenge
Crystal Cristescu, Women in Schneider Electric (WiSE)
1:15pm Break
1:30pm Girls STEAM Ahead Success Story
Eliana D’Astici, student at Homewood- Flossmoor High School
Anne Colton, Independent Documentary Filmmaker
1:45pm Powerful Connections Panel Discussion
Moderator: Felicia Houston, UChicago Medicine | Ingalls \
Panel members: Charity Ikpe, Boeing; Engineers in Heels
Andrea Bryant, PhD candidate at University of Chicago
Jeanne Naughton, Panduit
2:15pm Facing the Major Decisions Ahead
Holly Kelsven, Homewood Science Center
Sylvia Parham, Cook County Dept. of Planning & Development
2:50pm Raffle & Evaluation
Girls STEAM Ahead Champion
TEAM WILLA
Peg Boivin, Gayla L. Boomer, Stephanie Cole, Karen Coleman, Julie Dineen, Inita Harris, Cassandra Johnson,
De Yvonne Lathan-Lee, Eshani Lee, Jasen Lee, Willa Lee, Julia Levy, Ken Marthia, Jan McNeill, Karen Novey, Jean Olsen, Shelley Peck, Valerie Sanchez,
Bridget Shears-Lee, Cheryl Utley, Scott Utley,
Sue & Gary Van Antwerp, Jordan Williams,
Lincoln Williams, Vanessa Williams
Girls STEAM Ahead Champion
MORRISON CONTAINER HANDLING SOLUTIONS
Girls STEAM Ahead Supporter
HBK Engineering
Sponsor a Girl
Jessica Kask
John & Elizabeth Oliver
Kathy Lucas
P.E.O. Chapter JA
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Sponsor 2 Girls
P.E.O. Chapter KA, Flossmoor IL
TRIALCO, INC.
Dr. Linda J Adkins
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Sponsor 5 Girls
Burwood Group
RCF Economic & Financial Consulting, Inc.
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Photos courtesy of Candid Giggles Photography
A look back at
Girls STEAM Ahead 2018
Meet and mingle during our STEAM Showcase! The STEAM Showcase is an outlet for students and professionals to show off their work in STEAM. If you want to feature your work, complete the STEAM Showcase portion on your application.
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The Nature of Science explored by keynote speaker
Patty Messersmith, Museum of Science & Industry
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Thinking about volunteering? Wondering what an internship is all about? How about research? Hear from our panel about their experience in field work!
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Success in STEAM starts with setting goals. Get in touch with your guiding principles and the SMART steps it will take to get your goals in gear.
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Students can enter our Girls STEAM Ahead raffle to win cool STEAM prizes!
10 GIRLS
RCF Economic & Financial Consulting, Inc.
1 GIRL
Denise Ksioszk
Jasen Lee
Lavelle Smith Hall
Ouida Dyer-Bradford
Tracey Levy
Photos courtesy of Candid Giggles Photography
GIRLS STEAM AHEAD 2017
Homewood Science Center along with our sponsors,
Exelon and Schneider Electric welcomed 90 girls from 15 different schools and 40 professional women from 37 diverse fields in STEAM to connect and learn from each other at our inaugural Girls STEAM Ahead.
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Download our list of student participants
BROOKWOOD JUNIOR HIGH
CALVARY ACADEMY
COLIN POWELL MIDDLE SCHOOL
CRETE MONEE HIGH SCHOOL
HF HIGH SCHOOL
INFANT JESUS OF PRAGUE
JAMES HART JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
CHICAGO HEIGHTS MAGNET STEM ACADEMY
MOKENA JUNIOR HIGH
O.W. HUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL
PARKER JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
PRAIRIE HILLS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
REAVIS HIGH SCHOOL
SAINT JOSEPH
SOUTHWOOD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Download our list of professional participants
GSA 2017 Featured Congresswoman Robin Kelly
Congresswoman Robin Kelly has dedicated her career to public service as an advocate for Illinois families. Since being elected to serve the 2nd Congressional District in 2013, she has worked to expand economic opportunity, community wellness, and public safety across the state, championing numerous initiatives to generate job growth, reduce health disparities, and end gun violence.
Girls STEAM Ahead 2017 Sponsors
Girls STEAM Ahead 2017 Partners
