News & updates for young women interested in STEM
Imagine. Invent. Inspire.
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Hey there there, 👋
Although it's hard to believe, December is here! The holiday season is upon us and the semester is coming to an end. Winter break is right around the corner and it will be here before you know it! ⛄ Get prepared to stay in and stay warm during break by reading some of the exclusive STEM news below, applying for the highlighted scholarships, or taking some time to listen to a new podcast mentioned. See you in the New Year! 🎉
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Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy Applications are OPEN! |
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We are excited to announce that applications for the summer 2021 Exelon Foundation STEM Leadership Academy are now open! 🙌
The Exelon STEM Leadership Academy is a free, week-long, residential* program for 10th and 11th grade girls interested in STEM to learn from women working in STEM and other leaders; 👩🔬 explore sustainability, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate change; 🌎 and connect with like-minded peers. 💡 The Academy concludes with an energy challenge and a chance to win great prizes! Each participant will also receive an iPad to use for Academy activities and to take home at the end of the week. Past Academy attendees, please share with friends! The application for student staff will be available at the beginning of January and will be emailed directly to all Academy alumni.
*We are closely monitoring the Covid-19 public health situation. The 2021 Academy is being planned as an in person, on campus event but may be converted to a virtual event based on local health recommendations and requirements.
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If you missed our events last month, don't worry! See what we've been up to: |
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STEM Academy students got the chance to talk with director and filmmaker, Shalini Kantayya, about her film Coded Bias. 🎥 This film explores the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini’s startling discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all. 👩💻 Students asked insightful questions about the future of AI, what it was like to make the film, and how they can overcome obstacles to reach their goals.
If you missed this event and are still interested in watching Coded Bias, you can now stream the film through 70+ local theaters here! |
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Shalini Kantayya answering STEM Academy student's question during the virtual Q&A on November 14th |
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Keep these scholarship opportunities on your radar ✍ |
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The Palantir Women in Technology Scholarship celebrates and supports women who are beginning careers in technology. 💻 Chosen recipients will be invited to visit Palantir headquarters in Palo Alto for a full-day, all-expenses paid developmental workshop. Programming will include professional development sessions, breakouts with their engineers, and some fun social activities! All recipients are awarded grants of $7,000 to support their education.
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The SMART full ride Scholarship through the Department of Defense provides STEM students with the tools needed to pursue higher education and begin a career with the DoD. With a full scholarship, students pursuing STEM degrees will be able to focus on complex research to further the DoD’s mission and create lasting impact.🔬 SMART is a one-for-one commitment; for every year of degree funding, the scholar commits to working for a year with the DoD as a civilian employee.
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Meet Exelon's STEM Employee of the month,
Quenette Alsup!
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Quenette Alsup is the Chemistry Programs Supervisor at Dresden Generating Station in Morris, IL and she is also a STEM Academy mentor! Quenette's team monitors, assesses, and responds to plant conditions to accurately diagnose problems and ensure the plant is running smoothly and generating energy. ⚡
Quenette's role has helped her with her time management, leadership, and collaboration skills. Quenette realizes the value of mentoring and it has played a significant impact on her career at Dresden Station. A role like Quenette's requires a Bachelor's degree in any science related field. Quenette received her Bachelor of Science and Master’s degree in Chemistry from DePaul University.
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There's no shortage of great STEM events to check out over winter break: |
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NASA is committed to landing the first woman and next man on the lunar surface by 2024, and you can be a part of it! In collaboration with Future Engineers, NASA has created the Artemis Moon Pod Essay Contest. The contest, which is open to all students in grades K-12, asks participants to imagine they are leading a one-week expedition to the Moon’s South Pole. In the essay, students will need to describe to NASA what (and who) they would bring to help make their expedition a success. The winners will win a family trip to see the first Artemis flight test, watching the most-powerful rocket in the world launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida! 🚀 See more details and apply before December 17th!
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For National Computer Science Education Week, Black Girls Code is hosting a 4-day introductory computational thinking workshop for high school students from December 8th-11th. Students will receive a guided introduction to programming concepts ranging from procedural decomposition (how to identify breaking down problems), to functions, conditionals and basic data structures using python. 👩💻 Students will also hear from a diverse panel of women in STEM & learn about careers in computer science. No experience is required! Learn more and register here.
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With support from the Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP), the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) hosts the Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) program, and they need Near-Peer Mentors! The goal of the GEMS program is to broaden students’ interest in STEM and to inspire them to consider careers in these fields. 👩🔬 Prior to the scheduled GEMS sessions, Near-Peer Mentors will receive training and collaborate with the Resource Teachers as well as with Army scientists and engineers. During the day, Near-Peer Mentors will interact with elementary, middle and high school participants full time by teaching the experiments, serving as role models, and acting as resources concerning college life and career pathways. Apply for this great paid summer internship opportunity here!
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Award-winning journalist Zara Stone shares the fascinating, complicated stories of how a diverse group of powerful women got started-from the perspective of those still working it out as they go along in her book "The Future of Science is Female."
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Emmy-Nominated Series “Mission Unstoppable” returns for season two on CBS beginning January, 2021. This show spotlights and celebrates diverse female STEM professionals as role models to inspire the next generation of STEM pioneers.
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Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was an astronomer who made a lot of firsts. She grew up in a society that didn’t prioritize education for girls, and she was determined to get around that. Listen to her story on the podcast Stuff You Missed in History Class.
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Exelon and our operating companies are sharing fun updates on social media! Be sure to keep in touch and follow us:
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