Symposium Raises the Bar for High School Students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
LOS ANGELES, May 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — The Archer School for Girls, located in the Brentwoodcommunity of Los Angeles, will be hosting the school's second annual STEM SYMPOSIUM: An Exhibition of Independent Student Projects in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math on Saturday, May 24, at9:30 a.m. on the school's campus. Archer's annual STEM Symposium is an opportunity for Los Angeles high school students who have completed independent or small group projects in STEM fields to present their findings, exchange ideas, and network with peers and industry professionals.
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140508/85720
Photo – http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140508/85721
Dr. Sally Shaywitz, the Audrey G. Ratner Professor in Learning Development at Yale University and author of the book "Overcoming Dyslexia," will serve as the event's keynote speaker.
The STEM Symposium is part of Archer's Honors Research in Science and Engineering program (to view a video about the symposium, please visit http://eyetoeyewithelizabethenglish.tumblr.com/) designed to engage students in STEM and counter current statistics reflecting the dearth of women in the field. According to current government surveys, only 16% of American high school seniors are proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. Currently the United States ranks 25th in mathematics and 17th in science in industrialized nations. A gender-based analysis of the data reveals that women are nearly absent from careers that focus on STEM skills, meaning that at the present rate of development women will be excluded from the most lucrative professions in our economy. (Source: www.ed.gov/stem)
Through events like the STEM Symposium and programs like Archer's new Integrated Design and Engineering Arts or "IDEA" Lab and Girls RISE (Research in Science and Engineering), the school seeks to develop in students the competence and confidence to excel in STEM beyond high school. The IDEA Lab is dedicated to hands-on activities that help students synthesize knowledge across educational domains; Girls RISE is an advanced science program designed around girls' interests and the ways that girls learn best. The program provides juniors and seniors with the opportunity to utilize cutting-edge technology to design and implement an original scientific study in the key areas of molecular biology, chemistry, physics or engineering. Archer also offers courses such as Engineering and Design to provide students with critical thinking and analytical skills they can take into any career.
About the STEM Symposium
The STEM Symposium will be held on Saturday, May 24 on Archer's campus at 11725 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles. In the opening morning session, which is free and open to the public, attending students will have the opportunity to exchange ideas, network and hear from high-level STEM professionals. Educators are then invited to participate in afternoon workshops with thought-leaders in STEM disciplines, for a fee of $45. The morning session of the STEM Symposium begins at 9:30 a.m. Educator workshops will be offered from 1:00 p.m. to 3:55 p.m. For details and tickets, visit www.archerstemsymposium.org.
For more information about Archer visit: www.archer.org. For media relations, please contact Christina McIntosh, Director of Communications at 310-873-7000 or Email, or Alexia Haidos at 310-450-6890, or Email.