The Journey Begins...2017 Discover STEM Conference
- Raygine Francois
- Feb 11, 2017
- 2 min read
In honor of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the Haiti STEM Alliance welcomed 125 high school girls from Caradeux, Haiti, to our very first “Discover STEM” conference. The goal? Simple — start a conversation.
We brought together two dynamic groups of speakers. During registration, participants had the chance to hear brief but informative introductions to the STEM fields. It wasn’t just about listening — we made sure the girls could ask questions, share their thoughts, and engage directly with the presenters.
In the second part of the conference, a group of female college students studying various STEM disciplines took the stage to share their personal journeys. We chose college students intentionally — hoping their stories would resonate more deeply with the high schoolers and make the STEM path feel more accessible.
To round out the day, an EMT team joined us to talk about their field and offer training opportunities to any interested participants. It was inspiring to see how quickly the girls connected with their stories and expressed interest in exploring that path.
This conference also marked the launch of three Summer STEM Programs, beginning in June and July 2017. Two of these programs — each running for three weeks — will serve girls ages 5 to 13 and feature hands-on activities across science, technology, engineering, and math.
The third program will serve as a pilot for our STEM Technology Centers, which we plan to open in each of Haiti’s 10 departments. Starting September 2017, this program will run every Saturday during the school year. Year one will focus on foundational skills — computer basics, typing, robotics, and English as a second language. By year two, each girl will select a STEM focus area and dive deeper into that field through activities like coding, building bridges, and scientific experiments.
We left the conference inspired and hopeful. Not only did we introduce these young women to the world of STEM, but we encouraged them to dream boldly — even if those dreams don’t involve science or tech.
We set out to start a conversation. And we did exactly that.
A heartfelt thank you to the young women who attended with open minds, to the speakers who said "yes" without hesitation, and to our sponsors who made this all possible. Special thanks to Institution Mixte Juvenile and their amazing volunteers for hosting us and helping everything run smoothly.
With gratitude to our sponsors:
Family and Friends, AMF Experts, Haiti Teen Challenge, FELB, Patisserie Marie Béliard, Hero Dispatch, and DLM Transport and Logistics.
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