The Washington County Museum is hosting a week-long STEM Leadership Academy June 17 – 21. A small group of high school girls will follow the National Science Foundations’ Waterbotics lesson plans to build a Lego robot and compete in challenges. But not just any challenges—underwater challenges, both on the surface of the water and vertical motion in an 8 foot diameter pool.

More details and the registration form are on their website:  http://www.washingtoncountymuseum.org/stem

• Mission
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Did you attend ChickTech: High School at Portland State University in January 2013?

… then, you should click here and RSVP for the first follow-up event: The Resume & Career Workshop.

Here are 10 reasons why you should attend:

1. It takes place on March 16, from 1 p.m. – 5p.m. (That’s a Saturday, on a non-finals weekend, and it leaves plenty of time before and after to do fun stuff with family and friends on your day off!)
2. It’s hosted at ISITE Design, a digital agency in Portland. (That means you get a peek inside a potential career path: coding, IT, user experience, digital strategy, and more, are all parts of a modern digital marketing and advertising agency.)
3. You could win a $200 gift certificate to Saturday Academy in a raffle at the event. (That means you can take a class you hand-pick from their wide selection of interesting topics including film/animation, computer science, computer programming, and more.)
4. There will be snacks. (Enough said.)
5. You will learn how to give a good handshake. (Seems minimal, but it’s a good thing to know!)
6. You will learn how to do everything right at an interview, by poking fun *critiquing* an adult volunteer who is doing it all wrong.
7. You will learn about what tech-related internships are available right now to people like you, in the Portland area.
8. You will learn about what specific tech careers look like day-to-day.
9. We will help you create a professional resume.
10. You’ll leave with everything you need to apply for a tech internship!
11. BONUS REASON: You will laugh and have a lot of fun with the peers and volunteers you met and got to know at ChickTech: High School.

Berta Luis, a sophomore, and Inez Hernandez, a junior, both attend Glencoe High School in Hillsboro, Ore., but had never met until they had a shared adventure experience on the MAX train on their way to the inaugural day of ChickTech: High School—a two-day event at Portland State University where 99 Portland-area high school girls were introduced to technology by local experts, in an effort to trigger an interest and confidence in high tech.

On the MAX, Berta and Inez soon realized they were attending the same workshop, computer games, one of seven tech-themed choices at ChickTech: High School. (The other workshops were robotics, microcontrollers, computer construction, website design and construction, smartphone apps, designing experiences.)

In the computer games workshop, they formed a team with Selena Hasan, a junior at Riverdale High School in Portland, and the two became three, and conversation soon turned to video games they each had played, and smiles were shared in a seeming relief to have found people who truly understood and shared their interests.

As Selena, Berta and Inez  worked on paper prototypes of the game they dreamed up—guided by workshop leaders including David Galiel, Leana Galiel, Yori Kvitchko and Corvus Elrod—they never stopped chatting. Never. And, this was unusual for all three of them, the girls unanimously concurred.

During ChickTech, Berta said she met a lot of new people and that it was a fun environment where she was able to socialize and come out of her usually very shy shell. Even though she had hoped to join the computer construction workshop she ended up in computer games, seated with her now-friends, Selena and Inez.

Selena, one third of triplet sisters who all attended ChickTech,  said she’s usually painfully shy, too, but at ChickTech she talked up a storm with girls she just met who shared her interest in video games,  jigsaw puzzles and other tangible games.

“I really like it because I’ve met several people with similar interests to me,” she said. “I guess I just feel comfortable.”

Inez came to ChickTech thinking her back up plan career would be a dental assistant, but her “shoot for the stars” career choice is a game designer.

“I wanted to see what’s behind video games,” she said, “I’m always curious about that: how it’s made.”

Her interest in game design was known by her teacher, who elected Inez to attend ChickTech.

“I actually thought I was in trouble,” she said about the moment she was summoned by her teacher.

Berta overheard a teacher and the principal talking about ChickTech while working as an attendance aid in her school’s office. They asked her if she’d like to join.

“I said yes because I wanted to meet new people and learn more about tech,” Berta said.

Although Berta and Inez basically made it through an obstacle course to arrive at Day One of ChickTech: High School 2013, they bonded over the experience, meeting each other for the first time at the MAX station, even though they attend the same high school.

They ran for the train, stood close, able to touch the doors that refused to open. They stood in the cold to wait for another train, which, when it arrived, teamed with police who were monitoring a situation involving a sick person and vomit on the MAX.

Then, they finally made it. It was an adventure, they said with a sparkle in their eyes.

If you or someone you know are interested in attending ChickTech: Career in 2013, or ChickTech: High School in 2014, or are interested in volunteering or supporting us through donating or partnering, please stop by and chat with us!

Address: OSU Memorial Union Ballroom, Oregon State University Campus, 2501 Southwest Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331

Date: Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2013

Time: 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Pathways to Science—a project of the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP), which is funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA—lists ChickTech as one of their Featured Links.

Pathways to Science supports pathways to the STEM fields: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, according to the project’s website, and works to pair  underrepresented groups with STEM programs, funding, mentoring and resources.

Pathways to Science is a valuable resource to ChickTech program attendees as their website lists undergraduate summer research opportunities, graduate fellowships, postdoctoral positions, as well as resources and materials pertaining to recruitment, retention, and mentoring.

Learn more about Pathways to Science on their website and on Facebook.

On Wednesday, Jan. 9, Janice Levenhagen-Seeley, Founder and Executive Director of ChickTech, along with Thompson Morrison, CEO of Fuse Insight, a business intelligence consultancy in Portland, were interviewed during the weekly viewer-call-in production by MetroEast Community Media in Gresham, OR. Watch their appearance above, or read more here.