Full STEAM Ahead in Summit:
A Day for Female Innovators
Gloria M Ron-Fornes,
Summit Board of Education 2013-2014 President
Ellen Dickson
Mayor City of Summit
The Idea: Share and inspire young women to
investigate and explore a journey in STEAM
Participation
• Middle School and High School female students and their mother or a
significant female adult in their lives
• Key district STEAM teachers, supervisors and administrators
• Key female community members, willing to share their STEAM
journey
District/Community Participation
Instructional Facilitators, teachers, supervisors, principals, Assistant Superintendent, communications specialist, students
Event Team
Role
Nicole Plumbo
Facilitator (Coding activity; team building exercise)
Michelle Hawley
Facilitator (Pollination activity; team building exercise)
Loreli Stochaj
Facilitator (Pollination activity)
Beth Thomas
Facilitator (Coding activity)
Karen Cotter
Facilitator (Pollination activity)
JoAnn Mendl
Facilitator (Coding activity)
Ann Dooley
Facilitator (Pollination activity)
Karen Greco
Facilitator (welcome desk, press, photography)
David Mimnaugh
Facilitator (Coding activity)
Cindy Vitale
Facilitator (welcome desk, Pollination activity)
Carly Johnson
Logistics
Wendy Radimer
Speaker/Mentor, Pollination activity, Lip Balm Display
Julie Glazer
Facilitator (Food; Networking )
Loren MacTaggart
Facilitator (Coding Activity; Networking)
Gail Tucci
Tech support
Dory Marcus
Tech support
Amy Cairns
Summit Conservancy Display
Claire Harrison
Summit Conservancy Display
Let the Ideas Flow
• Activities
• Videos
• Internal Website repository
Internal Website
Links to Independent Exploration
Links to Additional Resources
Reached out to Women in the Community
Featured Speakers and Innovators
Speaker/Mentors
Current Position
Gloria M Ron-Fornes
Marketing/Sales Enablement Executive, IBM North America
Maria Zazzera
Technical & Policy Advisor, NJBPU
Christine Pantoya
VP Corporate Strategy & Development, Verizon
Patricia Fontan
Adjunct Professor, Rutgers
Patricia Costa-Giomi
Regulatory Affairs Leader, Pharmaceutical Division, J&J
Michelle Feigelis
Architect, Manager Corporate Projects & Interior Design, EI Associates
Alex Cotter
Physician Assistant Student, University of Bridgeport
Mini Suri
Sr VP, Content Mgmt, Engineering & Delivery, Cloud Computing, Citigroup
Doris McLaughlin
Release Manager/Project Manager, Citigroup/CMB Technology
Maris Lown
VP Academic Affairs, Union County College
Jennifer Ebert
Associate Professor, Physics & Engineering, Union County College
Hilary Wandall
Associate Vice President, Compliance and Chief Privacy Officer of Merck & Co
Peggy Wong
Director, Translational Medicine Statistics, Merck Research Laboratories
Henry Dickson
Web Developer Intern, Creative Agency in Brooklyn
Wendy Radimer
Owner, Bee Natural Organics
Ellen Dickson
Mayor, City of Summit
Engaged Community Businesses
• The Eatery
• What a Dish
Full STEAM Ahead in Summit: A Day for Female Innovators
The Agenda
• Welcome……………………….Mayor Ellen Dickson
• Introduction/Agenda…………..BOE President Gloria Ron-Fornes
• My STEAM Story/Journey …..Speaker Panel
• Activities……………………….Classroom/Library
• Group PHOTO
• LUNCH (12:15noon-1:00pm)
•
Opportunity for individual photos or pair photos
• My STEAM Story/Journey…….Speaker Panel 2
• Reflection & Networking .......... Gloria Ron-Fornes, Ellen Dickson
Full STEAM Ahead: A Day for Female Innovators
DETAILED AGENDA FOR SPEAKERS & STAFF
•
9:00am
Breakfast food arrives and set up
•
9:30am
Registration and Breakfast
•
10:00am
Welcome & Introduce Team Building Activity….Mayor Ellen Dickson
•
10:15am
•
•
Introduction/Agenda & My Story……..BOE President Gloria Ron-Fornes
Give students instructions about collecting “signatures on the pictures” as part of their networking opportunity
10:30am
•
•
•
•
•
My STEAM Story/Journey ……….Speaker Pane 1
Gloria to moderate
Every speaker in panel 1 (6 in total) will share their STEAM story in 3-4 min, followed by a question
Moderator will ask one of the tables to ask 1 question to each speaker after their story
There are 8 potential questions (see next page)
At the end of this section, the attendees will move to either Mueller’s Gym or Library for their 1st activity)
•
11:00am
Activity #1……………………….Classroom or Library
•
11:25am
Move to Activity #2
•
11:30am
Activity #2……………………….Classroom or Library
•
11:30am
Lunch arrives and set up
•
12:00noon Group Photo
•
12:15pm
•
•
1:00pm
•
•
•
•
Informal lunch & networking
Opportunity for individual photos or pair photos
My STEAM Story/Journey…….Speaker Panel 2
Gloria to moderate
Every speaker in panel 1 (6 in total) will share their STEAM story in 3-4 min, followed by a question
Moderator will ask one of the tables to ask 1 question to each speaker after their story
Same 8 potential questions (see next page)
•
1:30pm-2:00pm Reflection, Networking & Close
•
1:30pm
Introduce the Summit STEAM 2014 Site…..Nicole Plumbo and Michelle Hawley
•
1:40pm
Introduce Reflection Table Exercise………..Nicole and Michelle
•
1:50pm
•
•
•
Read Out and Close………………………….Gloria & Ellen
Representation from each table to read out their reflection
Ellen thanks the participants, staff and sponsors – give the students a “key”
Gloria thanks the Speakers/Mentors
Speaker Guidance
•
Tell your story (use storytelling to share)
•
Be prepared to answer one of these questions that will be asked by a student
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Why did I think STEAM or one of the disciplines was right for me?
What inspired me to follow this path?
When did I know I liked one or more STEAM disciplines?
What educational choices did I make in HS and beyond?
What do I do today – is it strickly STEAM ?
Where did my career start and what path led me to do what I do today?
How did the discipline of STEAM help me in selecting other career options and in my
life in general?
How did my choices affect my relationships with other girls and with boys in school
and then with other women and men at work?
•
Share what other interests you have that may NOT be STEAM related – show
how its important to be balanced.
•
Sit at your assigned table when you are not speaking on the panel - each
speaker will also act as facilitator/mentor with the girls at their table
•
If you have any artifacts/pictures/tools you use in your work – bring them (show
and tell)
Opening
KK
KDK
DKK
DKDK
My Story…
My Story…
My Story…
The Panels
Panel 1
10:30-11:00am
Chris Pantoya
Patricia Fontan
Mini Suri
Maris Lown
Hilary Wandall
Henry Dickson
Panel 2
1:00-1:30pm
Maria Zazzera
Patricia Costa-Giomi
Michelle Feigelis
Alex Cotter
Doris McLaughin
Peggy Wong
The Activities
Activity 1 - Don't Overlook the Bees
Project Background - the "whys", pictures, and article
• Team Create/Build - Create your own honey comb
structure and put it's strength to the test (this involves
simple materials, such as paper and pencils)
• Video
Activity 2 – One hour of Code
• An opportunity for every student to experience
writing code in computer science.
• http://code.org/learn
The Feedback
What Worked:
• The whole day - the food, the atmosphere, the conversations
• The compelling stories & the role models
• Having 2 “younger” role models
• The Jimmy Fallon video
• The Group picture
• The “bees” discussion & the coding exercise
• Moms (and dad) very engaged
• Great day, loved the stories, got inspired, loved the exercises and displays, relaxed,
inviting, yet professional atmosphere
• Team work, collaboration and “roll up your sleeves” attitude among the organizing
team!
• Positive “feel” and “buzz” all day
The Feedback
What to do Differently:
• Include more college students and recent graduates as speakers on the panel
• Serve the “light breakfast” closer to the main tent area so that the students,
moms, speaker/mentors and teachers have the breakfast at their group table and
begin to engage in an exercise early.
• Teachers as “facilitators” of team building and exercises at the tables vs the
speakers
• Alter agenda flow….start with more deliberate exercises and then panel
• During registration for the event, ask people to sign up only if they can participate
for the full event; establish a wait list; and reconfirm the registered guests the day
before.
• Provide more information to the mom’s about how the day will flow and ask
them to assess if their daughter is ready to engage in such an agenda
• Consider splitting the middle school and high school girls into 2 separate groups
for part of the agenda
Planning is Essential
• From idea to reality….approximately 7-8 months
• Form a team of passionate, inspiring, creative teachers/facilitators to
plan and execute event
• Engage the speakers early and often
• Be prepared for overwhelming response
Closing Thoughts...
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
--Margaret Mead
Thank you for your time.
Mayor Ellen Dickson
Board Member Gloria Ron-Fornes