LYNN — With their 16th Annual Smart Girls Summit, Girls Inc. of Lynn has taken its mission of inspiring girls a step further by exposing them to the many careers in science, technology, engineering, and math.
“The purpose of the summit is exposing our girls to STEM careers that they have never heard of and just seeing women in STEM show them that girls are capable of doing that and have every right and ability to do it,” said Allee DeFronzo, the Girls Inc. STEM coordinator. “Getting them to try new things is really important at this age because it allows them to be open to new opportunities, which will help them figure out where they want to go in life.”
Local students representing KIPP Academy Lynn, Pickering Middle School, Thurgood Marshall Middle School and Breed Middle School spent the day in workshops that focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The activities within those workshops were created by a variety of female professional volunteers from STEM professions in the Greater Boston area, such as NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory, General Electric, MA State Police Crime Lab and the Museum of Science in Boston.
“It’s an opportunity that all parents should consider for their girls and I know that missing school for a day sometimes deters them from sending their girls here, but it is a day of learning,” said DeFronzo. “They’re learning different STEM careers and skills that are useful and it’s driving their curiosity.”
DeFronzo, who is a product of Lynn Public Schools, has worked for Girls Inc. for almost five years but this was her first time organizing the Smart Girls Summit in her new role as STEM coordinator. Aside from the workshops, the summit had a special presentation from Curious Creatures equipped with a plethora of live animals, including chinchillas, snakes, and even a flying squirrel.
“I just wanted to make sure the girls would have a good time and be engaged because obviously I’ve never sat through one of the workshops or events but I have faith in the women who come here that they would run great and interesting activities,” said DeFronzo.
Aside from the Girls Inc. members who have first priority in participating in the summit, the young students who attended the event were all recommended by their school administrators. During the summit’s welcoming remarks, there was a Smart Girl Award ceremony where a girl from each of the four represented schools won a certificate and a $25 Visa gift card.
Recipients of the Smart Girl Awards were Mia Kebreau from Breed Middle School, Emma Farris Howes from Marshall Middle School, Olivia DeJesus from Pickering Middle School, and Taisha Garcia from KIPP Academy Lynn.
“I think the schools are really excited for the girls to come here because they get to meet all these incredible women who work in the STEM field, they get to take home some really cool stuff and they get to try a bunch of new things,” said DeFronzo.
Emily LeBrasseur, an eighth grader at Marshall, was a speaker during the Smart Girl Awards. This was her second time attending the summit, and she felt honored to be invited back to take on a more participatory role.
“I really like science and I love to work with engineering and space things so this summit really helps me to learn more about all of that,” she said.
Aolani Nova is a seventh grader from Breed Middle School who has been a Girls Inc. member since last June. As an aspiring chemist, Nova was excited to attend her first Smart Girls Summit.
“My favorite part about today has definitely been holding the snakes,” she said. “I think this summit opens girls’ eyes to more STEM careers and things you can do in STEM like building, engineering and even working with animals.”
Lena Crowley, the director of the middle and high school programs at Girls Inc., started the Smart Girls Summit more than two decades ago after she attended a STEM event at a local YMCA and noticed not many girls in attendance. She remains ecstatic at the continuous success of the organization’s annual event.
“My favorite part is when I see the girls get excited about an activity that they’re doing and they’re really enjoying it,” said Crowley. “In the future I’d like to see us expand the summit to the high school girls, or just do a separate one for them.”