For the Girls: Tech Savvy & Girl Savvy Workshops

AM Keynote Speaker:


Patricia Hansen–Retired United Airlines Pilot

“Women in STEM:  Cleared for Takeoff!”

~ Tech Savvy and Girl Savvy Workshops for 2023~

Workshop Start & end times:
Workshop 1  9-9:50 am
Workshop 2  10-10:50 am
Workshop 3  11-11:50 am

Check availability when you are registering.
Register early for the best chance to attend your preferred workshop!

Tech Savvy STEM Workshop Sessions – Morning

First year girls:  Choose Two STEM Morning Workshops and College Savvy

College Savvy – Required for First Year Attendees
(If you are attending with a parent, sign up for the same time slot they do.)
Investigate colleges and university programs that mesh with your STEM career goals.  Complete a mock college application and interview with a College Recruiter.  You will also go on a Scavenger Hunt to learn more about what each school has to offer.

Returning Girls: Choose Three STEM Morning Workshops

CSI-Crime Scene Adventure
Step under the yellow police tape to learn how to find, collect, and analyze the evidence to help crack a case!

Learn Computer Coding Using Adafruit
Would you like to learn electronics, with an all-in-one board that has sensors and LEDs built in? Circuit Playground is here – and it’s the best way to practice programming on real hardware with no soldering or sewing required!

Use Science to Get Creative with Lip Balm
Learn how to make our very own compounded ‘medication’ while exploring the inside secrets of the pharmacy world. We will discover how to assist our neighbors and how to influence healthcare.

Hydraulic Machinery — Experience the Power of Fluids!
Ever wonder how the arm on a garbage truck works? Or how a construction lift can reach tall heights, but still fold down and be compact?  Want to know what those hoses on trucks and machines do? Then this is the workshop for you! Using models of real trucks and construction machines, see how a little bit of fluid can do a lot of work!

Exploration into Robotics
Work together to build a robot using VEXIQ robot kits and WonderWorkshop (WW) Robots.

Creating Packaging for a Better Tomorrow (Amcor)
Have you ever thought about the science behind a candy bar wrapper?  Where did that package you open every day even come from?  You can be a part of an innovative world where you not only design packaging for today, but also create new packaging for a better tomorrow!  Come Join Us!

Ethical Hacking with HBS (Heartland Business Systems)
Join this session to learn about ethical hacking including password decryption and simple SQL injection tactics.  Get hands-on experience from leaders working in the field.

Design, Model, and Test a Bridge!
Are you creative and want to design important structures? This class involves designing, modeling, and testing a bridge to see whose creation will hold the most weight! This is a fun, engaging, and educational class that will allow you to explore multiple Engineering Careers.

Baby, Now We’ve Got Bad Blood
Are you interested in medicine or biology?  Want to know what it’s like to work in a laboratory?  Do you like Taylor Swift?  Come learn about the work and education of Medical Laboratory Scientists.  You can even test your own blood (just a drop-don’t worry! Like we do in hospitals to discover your blood type while listening to some T-Swift!

Investigating Climate­­—Past and Future
What will Earth be like in the future?  Investigate clues from the past by collecting miniature core samples from a laboratory model and solving the puzzle of Earth’s past climate.  Then examine real core samples and equipment and meet the community dedicated to unlocking Earth’s past and predicting the future.

Brush Bots (Plexus)
In the brush bots activity, students will make their own robot by setting up a motor attached to a scrub brush. Students will get to learn about simple circuits as they set up the motor. We will also discuss the vibrational mechanics that cause the robot to move the way it does.

Operation ATC
The Air Traffic Control Tower has lost its radar. Can you repair the equipment and help the pilot safely land?  Educators from the Experimental Aviation Association (EAA) will introduce you to careers in aviation and avionics through this interactive puzzle game. You will unlock each step in the puzzle as you learn to use Morse code, read sectional maps & instrument panels, and complete broken circuits.

Girl Savvy Skills Workshop Sessions – Afternoon

Workshop Start & end times:
Workshop 1  12:40-1:10 pm
Workshop 2  1:15-1:45 pm
Workshop 3  1:50-2:25 pm

First year girls:  Must choose It All Adds Up! and two

It All Adds Up! For students who are NEW to Tech Savvy  (available all 3 sessions)
Learn how to budget based on income.  As a student, thinking about how money is earned and where it is spent may not always be a priority.  Once a job is secured and work in a profession begins, we need to know how to plan for an income and how to reasonably spend the money earned.  During this session, you will find out how “It All Adds Up!”

Getting Ready for a STEM Career
Learn important information for students who are interested in preparing for a STEM career.

Choosing a Mentor (1 session)
Knowing your personality will help you choose someone who has taken a similar path to you.  In this session we will identify your personality and set goals for getting a mentor.

Managing Your Priorities (available 2 sessions)
Success in STEM requires organizational skills to prioritize the important goals in your life.  This interactive workshop focuses on identifying your priorities and a model for how to use your time to meet your goals.

Seeing Yourself in the Future (available all 3 sessions)
This is a panel discussion with women working in STEM careers.

Laws that Broke Barriers and the Women Behind Them
Appleton North’s Gender Equality Club Tech Savvy strives to promote a holistic understanding of society’s impact on our lives and our perceptions about gender. Our Tech Savvy presentation examines the laws and legislation which paved the way for women to gain entrance into male-dominated fields, recognizing those who came before us as pivotal in providing us with our opportunities today.

Confidence Code Part 1 – Nuts and Bolts of Confidence (available all 3 sessions)
What is Confidence? Confidence is what turns our thoughts into action. It allows us to do things that seem hard, scary, or impossible.  Join us to move toward a more confident and empowered YOU.

Confidence Code Part 2 – Cracking the Code (available all 3 sessions)
You already explored the Nuts and Bolts of Confidence last year and you have the book. This session introduces cracking the code by learning to risk more, think less, and be your amazingly imperfect and totally powerful self.

Star Power, Self-Talk, & Finding Balance
Walk away from this experience not only with a deeper understanding of how to ignite your self-confidence, but also with skills that will serve you personally and professionally in the future.  We cover 3 topics including Star Power, which is all about recognizing self-confidence and celebrating the qualities that make you unique, self-talk, and how you can develop a practice of positive self-talk, and finally, we’ll do an exercise about finding balance, which will connect back to the concept of Star Power.

PM Keynote Speaker:

Kat Cantner, University of Minnesota,
Science and Outreach Coordinator

“Beyond STEM: Finding Your Path”

I am a geologist, educator, and artist living in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I am the Science and Outreach Coordinator for the Continental Scientific Drilling Facility in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department of the University of Minnesota. I also teach an online asynchronous introductory geology course at Minnesota Community and Technical College with a focus on accessibility.

Girls’ Schedule for the Day:

7:30 am-8:30 am Check-in and Breakfast
8:30-9:00 Welcome & AM Keynote Speaker w/adults
9:00-9:50 Workshop 1 or College Savvy
10:00-10:50 Workshop 2 or College Savvy
11:00-11:50 Workshop 3 or College Savvy
12:00-12:40 pm Lunch w/adults
12:40 – 1:10 Girl Savvy Skills Workshops
1:15 – 1:45 Girl Savvy Skills Workshops
1:50 – 2:25 Girl Savvy Skills Workshops
2:30-3:00 Keynote Speaker w/adults
3:00-3:30 Closing Ceremony w/adults