The founder of Girls Who Code and a NASA aerospace engineer will be the keynote speakers at the #LEADLIKEAGIRL: A Conference for Risk-Takers and Changemakers,” set for April 5-6 at the Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton.
Registration for the free conference, which aims to inspire girls’ confidence and creativity in STEM, entrepreneurship and leadership, opens Feb. 5, according to Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart officials.
Keynote speaker Reshma Saujani is the founder and chief executive officer of Girls Who Code, which is a national nonprofit organization that seeks to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like.
Aprille Ericsson, the second keynote speaker, is an aerospace engineer and instrument manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She has worked on key satellite design projects, and in her spare time, she works to motivate minority students to follow careers in science and engineering.
The conference, which is open to girls in grades K-12, will take place over two days. Girls in grades K-4 can attend the conference on April 5, and girls in grades 5-12 can attend on April 6.
The girls can take part in three leadership tracks – STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), Entrepreneurship and Leadership.
In addition to the keynote speakers, there will be a business fair and expo, STEM talks, workshops and expert panel discussions. Last year, sessions included “Girls Can Do Anything! Overcoming Gender and Unconscious Bias,” and “Women in Business – Paths to Success.”
Head of School Patty Fagin expressed gratitude to the professional women and mentors who help to make the conference possible.
“At absolutely no cost, we give girls from all backgrounds a chance to see what their future might look like as a woman who leads,” Fagin said.
“In one day, we open a world of possibilities to girls, especially in areas where women are under-represented, such as STEM, finance and leadership. It helps to build interest in a broad range of careers,” Fagin said.
Since its inception two years ago, the conference has drawn attendees – students, parents, educators and mentors – from across the United States. It is sponsored by the National Center for Girls’ Leadership at Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart.
Visit www.stuartschool.org/leadlikeagirl for more information.
Head of School Patty Fagin expressed gratitude to the professsional women andmentors who help to make the conference possible.