Hofstra's 9th Annual STEM Conference Empowers GSNC

Girl Scouts of Nassau County (GSNC) and Hofstra University recently held their 9th annual STEM Conference at Hofstra University, which offered Girl Scouts in grades 4-8 an opportunity to participate in interactive workshops and meet some of Long Island’s most prominent women professionals in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math. This year’s "Imagine Your Possibilities” STEM Conference featured a range of activities to help Girl Scouts experience science in action, including color manipulation, harnessing wind energy, civil engineering, forensic fingerprinting, ocean circulation, and solving crimes using DNA evidence. The event culminated with an inspirational keynote address by Heidi Bialk, Vice President, Global Product Safety and Green Chemistry for The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), where she shared her career journey, spoke about green chemistry and highlighted how ELC is working to advance women and girls in STEM. Following her keynote, ELC R&D product formulators led a hands-on workshop that taught Girl Scouts about how environmental sustainability plays a role in the creation of beauty products.

“At Girl Scouts of Nassau County, we are committed to increasing girls’ involvement in STEM and ensuring that every girl is exposed to opportunities that nurture curiosity and creativity, and help build their skills and perspectives as they become the scientists and leaders of the future,” said Rande Bynum, CEO of Girl Scouts of Nassau County. “Our Annual STEM Conference is all about Imagining the Possibilities, and Girl Scouts did just that while exploring the world of science through hands-on workshops led by professional women employed in the STEM field. The workshops led by Hofstra University were incredible, and the story of Heidi Bialk’s journey was inspiring. We were so happy to connect our Girl Scouts with professional mentors to help show them what’s possible and how those before them have paved the way for their success.”

“The STEM conference allows us to recognize the various fields in STEM,” said participating Girl Scout, Zoe M. “In the program, I dove further into the specialization of civil engineers and the impact their job has on our everyday lives. I also learned how to design a windmill. It was a visual explanation of how windmills harvest and convert wind into energy. We then all gathered to learn about Estée Lauder and some of the scientists and their journeys! Overall, it definitely widened my appreciation for the hours of dedication these people put in daily to make our lives better."

“I am delighted to be able to work with the Girl Scouts of Nassau County to inspire young girls to become STEM professionals,” said E. Christa Farmer, Professor, Hofstra University Geology, Environment, and Sustainability Department. “My passion is environmental science and oceanography, so my workshop sessions were dedicated to recreating deep ocean circulation with an eye to how it might change under global warming. Empowering the next generation of students is central to our mission here at Hofstra University. The Girl Scouts are always fun to work with and I value their curiosity!”

The Imagine Your Possibilities STEM Conference was the first part of Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s ongoing efforts to encourage girls to participate in STEM fields and provide opportunities to explore and cultivate their interests. According to reports from the Girl Scout Research Institute, women continue to be vastly underrepresented in the STEM workforce, despite its rapid growth in importance and expanded career opportunities as technology continues to advance. Women comprise about half of the total workforce, but only 34 percent of the STEM workforce and have lower median salaries than their male counterparts. At the collegiate level, women hold the majority of bachelor’s degrees overall, but only 39 percent are STEM bachelor’s degrees, as of 2019. The gender gap is perpetuated by gender stereotypes, male-dominated STEM culture(s), and the gap in female role models. Addressing the gender gap in STEM requires starting early and investing in STEM opportunities for girls, which Girl Scouts of Nassau County steadfastly facilitates (The Impact of Girl Scout STEM Programming, 2022).

“We’re thrilled to support the Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s efforts to inspire the STEM leaders of tomorrow,” said Heidi Bialk, Vice President, Global Product Safety and Green Chemistry for The Estée Lauder Companies. “By showcasing the amount of science, innovation, sustainability and creativity that goes into beauty, we hope to further excite the girls about the vast possibilities in STEM.”

Throughout the year, Girl Scouts offers a range of STEM programs, including tours and internships in partnership with The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research at Northwell Health, clean energy and sustainability programming with National Grid/Project C, engineering programs, computer science workshops and more. For more information about Girl Scouts of Nassau County’s STEM programming and opportunities to expand Girl Scouts exposure to science, technology, engineering, and math, visit www.gsnc.org.