Scientific role models
JACKSON TWP — A group of girls at Seneca Valley senior and intermediate high schools are advocating for women in traditionally male-dominated STEM fields through a sweet new club.
Seneca Women's Engineering Exploration Team, SWEET for short, was founded last fall at Seneca Valley to promote science, technology, engineering and math across the district to women and men in a diverse setting, said club adviser Steve Fortunato, a STEM teacher at Seneca Valley Senior High School.
It's also become a way for young women to find teamwork and support and an outlet for their creativity, said Justine Szurley, a junior and club president.
“We want to show girls that they can do anything,” Justine said. “While STEM fields are male-dominated now, we want to show them that they can do anything they set their mind to. This club is to build confidence and show them that girls can be strong and do what they set out to do.”
SWEET was born after Fortunato took a few girls from his engineering classes in September to represent the school at the Girls Rock Science Weekend at the Carnegie Science Center. The girls had such a great time they wanted to continue promoting women in STEM at Seneca Valley, Justine said.
So they formed SWEET and expanded from six members to about 26 girls. The group is open to girls in grades nine to 12.
Fortunato said while there are groups in the lower grades for girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math, like STEM Fems for grades five to eight, there was not a similar group for secondary students at Seneca Valley until they started SWEET.
While the group is small, the students are passionate about their work, Fortunato said. They've already raised $800 to continue funding projects they do in the schools and out in the community.
The girls hosted a booth at an event at the Barnes and Noble store in Cranberry Township where community members could explore chemical engineering by making their own slime and lip gloss. They used a laser cutter to etch cookies and Christmas ornaments at elementary students, and they've worked with the STEM Fems club at the middle school.
Along with connecting to the younger students, Fortunato said he wants to help his students connect with post-secondary options in STEM fields as well. One girl attended the Society of Women Engineers' High School Engineering Day hosted at the University of Pittsburgh, and Fortunato said he hopes to host a similar event at the school.
Justine said it's been amazing to see the impact the group already has had at both the secondary schools and with elementary students.
“It's so powerful to know that even though we're kids in high school, we can reach people on so many different levels,” Justine said. “It's amazing to see everything coming together.”
The group is hosting another fair from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Barnes & Noble in Cranberry where people can stop by and create a make-and-take project.
For more information on the club, contact Steve Fortunato at fortunatosl@svsd.net.
