High school students gather for SheTech Explorer Day
Mar 14, 2024, 4:01 PM | Updated: Mar 15, 2024, 10:51 am
Thousands of students take part in the SheTech Explorer Day at the a Mountain America Exposition Center in Sandy on Tuesday, April 9, 2019. (Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
(Scott G Winterton/Deseret News)
SANDY, Utah — Thousands of high school girls from all around the state gathered at the Mountain America Expo Center Thursday to explore their role in STEM, through a program called SheTech Explorer Day.
SheTech founder Cyd Tetro spoke to Inside Sources about the success of the day.
What is SheTech Explorer Day?
STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math.
According to the SheTech website, Tetro created the organization to help increase the number of women pursuing STEM degrees after high school.
“You step into the room, and you see the future,” Tetro said. “You know that our future to solve problems needs every one of their talents and innovative spirits to help us.”
Throughout the day, students met with mentors and completed what Tetro called “tech experiences and challenges,” putting their STEM problem-solving talents to work.
One of the participants also joined the show, Abby from Jordan High School.
“I absolutely love SheTech Explorer Day, it’s like my favorite day every year,” she said.
Today, she focused her time on the “Tech Zone.” There, she spoke to representatives from universities and companies about what she could expect in a future engineering career.
At the end of the day, the girls joined together for an ultimate challenge. They worked with each other to come up with some type of technology that could improve the lives of thousands of people.
“The ability to come together as a group and problem solve, to come up with a solution to such a wide, vast challenge was such a great experience,” Abby said.
The importance of mentors in STEM
Tetro said 90% of high school girls tell her that they don’t know any women in STEM to look up to as role models. SheTech Explorer Day offered an opportunity for these girls to see real examples of successful women, in their careers as scientists, engineers, pilots and more.
“They see that potential, and each one of those girls can identify and see who they can become,” Tetro said.
Three hundred and fifty women participated as mentors today to help the students with each tech challenge at hand.
“SheTech is facilitating connections early on,” Abby said. “It’s such a special community.”
Tetro said as these girls walk away from this event, they should know that SheTech opportunities are available all year. She directed people interested in these opportunities to their website.
“There are ways for girls to be activated and engaged all year round. This is a community, and there is a place for you,” Tetro said.
