Hands-on workshops, industry mentors and parental programming bring more than 150 students to Duke for the annual event.
Ever since she was a young girl, Promise Henry was drawn to science. In 2021, then a sophomore in high school, Promise heard about Girl Scouts STEM Day @ Duke from her troop leader. No one else in the troop signed up, but Promise decided to go anyway.
She didn’t know anyone that first year, but the hands-on workshops and enthusiastic volunteers pulled her in, and she kept coming back. This year, she came back as a volunteer, hoping to inspire students the same way the event once inspired her.
Girl Scouts STEM Day @ Duke has been offered annually for the last nine years at Duke through the Pratt School of Engineering, introducing middle and high school students to careers in science, technology, engineering, medicine and math. Open to all students, this year’s event on May 16 brought together 150 students, 139 parents/guardians, and more than 100 volunteers across the Triangle region and beyond.
Girl Scouts STEM Day @ Duke began as a partnership between Duke, Triangle Women in STEM (TriWiSTEM) and Girl Scouts North Carolina Coastal Pines, and evolved from the first event for 40 students to over 150 students for each of the past three years.
Promise, now a rising sophomore at Howard University studying chemistry on a pre-med track, said those early STEM workshop experiences helped her see that science wasn’t a narrow path. After attending Girl Scouts STEM Day, Promise started her own business selling skincare products.
“I was always taught by my mom that I don’t have to be one thing,” Promise said. “I want to be a pediatrician, but I also have a strong passion for science. This program really sparked my interest that I can work in different fields without only having to be a doctor.”
For the many students like Promise, the organizers aim to provide students a broad and engaging look at what STEM careers can offer.
The primary activity of the day for each student is an immersive two-and-a-half-hour workshop. This year’s program offered seven workshops to explore topics including clean energy, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, microbiomes, music technology, robotics and the science of cosmetics.
The biotechnology workshop, led by volunteers from Biogen and Fujifilm Biotech, introduced students to the science behind vaccines. The microbiomes workshop, led by researchers from the National Science Foundation-funded Precision Microbiome Engineering (PreMiEr) center, had students swab surfaces around campus, examine samples and learn how microbes live and move through built environments. The science of cosmetics workshop, a longtime favorite, taught students how chemical engineering principles guide the design of beauty products, such as lotions, lip balms and body scrubs.
In all the workshops, students also heard from volunteers representing 70 organizations from the Triangle area discuss their careers in STEM.
“The workshops give students a chance to dive into STEM in a way that’s hands-on and exciting,” said Nan Jokerst, the J.A. Jones Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, founding member of TriWiSTEM and co-organizer of the event. “The students get to interact directly with our volunteers, who are tremendous STEM role models to look up to. The students get to talk with practicing scientists and engineers, and the students begin to picture themselves in those roles.”
While students explore assorted facets of STEM, the event also provides dedicated programming for parents. This year, parents sat in on panels and sessions about financial wellness, college readiness and cyber-smart parenting in the age of AI.
Sondra Rivers-Kobler, a founding member of TriWiSTEM and co-organizer of the event, said she’s proud that Girl Scouts STEM Day @ Duke is free for all participants. This is made possible through the generosity of sponsors like Duke, Coastal Credit Union and Liquidia, as well as the time and effort of many volunteers. Over the past nine years, the event has been accessible to all who want to expand their horizons in STEM.
“We do not want any barriers for entry,” Rivers-Kobler said. “Our students come from every zip code.”
This spring, Promise wanted to give back to the event that gave her so much, so she came back as a volunteer. Rivers-Kobler was excited to welcome her back and thought it would be inspiring for the students to hear about Promise’s journey from Girl Scouts STEM Day @ Duke to pursuing a career in medicine.
“I wanted students to know they don’t have to fit into one box,” Promise said. “STEM has so many paths, and this day helps you see that. You might walk in not knowing anyone or not knowing anything about a particular workshop, like I did, but you leave knowing there’s so many opportunities.”
Led by a partnership between Durham Public Schools and Duke Engineering, the first “Innovation for Humanity” event brought teams from four local middle schools together to solve challenging problems.
Duke Engineering’s weekend community event joins two other Duke-led STEM-focused events during the month-long, state-wide celebration of science.
Duke researchers are working with public health professionals and citizen scientists in northeastern North Carolina to protects residents from neurotoxins released by giant algal blooms.
