FOR BEING
OUR GUEST.>> A PLEASURE.>> GERRY, BACK TO YOU.>>GERRY: THANKS, BARB.
ONCE AGAIN CONNER PRAIRIE ISGEARING UP FOR ITS POPULARPASSPORT TO HI-TECH EVENT,CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
WOMEN & HI TECH AND ROCHEDIAGNOSTICS.TIFFANY WHITE IS THE CURRENTPRESIDENT OF WOMEN & HI TECH AND
GAIL BROWN IS THE PROGRAMDIRECTOR AT CONNER PRAIRIE, ANDTHEY ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT WHYTHIS EVENT CAN BE SO IMPORTANT
FOR KIDS, ESPECIALLY GIRLS.WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.>> THANK YOU.>> TIFFANY, I WILL START WITH
YOU.PASSPORT TO HIGH-TECH, THIS ISTHE FOURTH YEAR.HOW DID THE IDEA COME ABOUT?
>> WOMEN AND HIGH-TECH WANT TODO MORE WORK WITH GIRLSESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE FINDMIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS REALLY NEED
THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH WOMENAND ROLE MODELS IN THE STEMFIELD SO WE PARTICULARLY WENTWITH CONNER PRAIRIE SO WE WOULD
HAVE AN OUTLET TO BRING GIRLSAND WOMEN AND STEM TOGETHER FORA FUN EXCITING TIME.>> CONNER PRAIRIE YOU ARE
INTERESTED IN HELPING TO GO JUSTGROW THIS PROGRAM AND IT'S ANODD MIX AND REALLY IT'S A VERYAPPROPRIATE MIX.
>> VERY APPROPRIATE AND PARTOF OUR MISSION OF INSPIRINGCURIOSITY IN FOSTERING LEARNINGGOES A LONG WAY.
WHEN WE WERE APPROACHED BY WOMENIN HIGH TECH TO HELP ENGAGEGIRLS IN STEM IT WAS ANO-BRAINER FOR US.
>> YOU TALK ABOUT ROLE MODELSON YOUR PERSONAL STORY IS AGREAT ONE.YOU ARE THE TECH HELICOPTER
CHIEF PROJECT AT ROLLS-ROYCE.A VERY TECHNICAL JOB BUT WHENYOU WERE GROWING UP YOU WENT TOPURDUE AND YOU WERE GROWING UP
AND YOU WERE TOLD THAT GIRLSDON'T BECOME ENGINEERS.>> THAT'S RIGHT, I HAD ANUNCLE THAT SAYS YOU CAN'T BECOME
AN ENGINEER, GIRLS AREN'TENGINEERS AND I'M KIND OFSTUBBORN AND HAD TO DO ITBECAUSE HE SAID I COULD SO AS A
BONUS FOR ME AND GAVE MESOMETHING TO WORK FOR.>> I'LL ASK YOU BOTH ABOUTTHIS, BUT THE PASSPORT TO HITEC
EVENT WHICH IS AT CONNERPRAIRIE, WHAT WILL THE YOUNGPEOPLE, GIRLS AND BOYS.>> WHAT WILL THEY EXPERIENCE?
>> WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TOME IS THAT THEY GET TOEXPERIENCE A LOT OF FUN EVENTSWITH HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE, BUT
ALSO THEY GET TO EXPERIENCE ITWITH WOMEN IN THE CITIES.>> THEY WILL GET TO EXPERIENCEMENTORS AT VARIOUS LEVELS
WHETHER PROFESSIONAL WITH A LOTOF OUR PARTNERS FROM THATCOMPANY'S OR UNIVERSITY STUDENTWHO IS DOWN OR WITH SOME OF OUR
PROGRAM HOSTS THAT ARE THEREKIND OF SHOWING THE GIRLS WHATTHEY CAN BE DOING RIGHT NOW.SO A WIDE VARIETY OF HANDS-ON
ACTIVITIES FROM COMPUTERCOATINGS TO ROBOTICS TOCHEMISTRY EXPERIENCE AND GREATSPEAKERS FROM THE HI-SEAS
PROGRAM WHICH IS THE HABITATFROM HAWAII TO NATALIE WORKMANWHO IS A SEVENTH GRADER ATCREEKSIDE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SHE
WILL BE TALKING ABOUT HOW SHEBUILT A ROBOT AND USES A ROBOT.>> THIS HAS BECOME A BIG EVENTSO THIS IS NOT LIKE A FEW KIDS
RUNNING AROUND IT'S A BIG EVENT.TALK ABOUT THE CROWD AND THENUMBER OF EXHIBITORS.>> BEING OUR FOURTH YEAR WHEN
WE STARTED WE HAD 18 EXHIBITORSAND WE HAD PROBABLY AROUND 500GUESTS ARRIVED.THIS YEAR WE HAVE WELL OVER 40
EXHIBITORS PARTICIPATING AND WEARE EXPECTING TO HAVE OVER 1200GUESTS THIS YEAR.>> SPEAKING OF MENTORS, GAIL
MENTIONED JOCELYN DUNN WHICH ISA GREAT STORY AT PURDUE.>> A PURDUE GRAD AND SHE SPENTQUITE A BIT OF TIME IN HAWAII
COME OUT LIKE A MISSION TO MARSOUT IN HAWAII.SHE WILL BE ONE OF THE SPEAKERSTO THE GIRLS MAKING INSPIRATION
TO THE GIRLS EXPLAINING WHAT SHEDID AND WHAT THEY COULD DO SOMEDAY.>> THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON
STEM ESPECIALLY WOMEN AND YOUNGGIRLS GETTING INTO STEM AND PARTOF THAT -- A LOT OF THAT ISCOMING FROM THE BUSINESS
COMMUNITY AND IT RELISHES A BIGSPONSOR.>> THEY ARE A BIG SPONSOR ANDLILY WILL BE THERE AND ANGIE'S
LIST WILL BE THERE AND WE HAVELIKE YOU SAID, OVER 40 DIFFERENTEMPLOYERS THERE.>> AND WE SHOULD MENTION
GROWTH OF THE PROGRAM IT'S BEENA ONCE A YEAR EVENT AT THAT'SCHANGING THIS YEAR.>> WE ARE EXPANDING AND WE ARE
GOING TO BE AT INDY IN AUGUST SOA LOT MORE ABOUT THAT LATER.>> AND MORE TO COME.>> WE WILL BE LOOKING FOR
THAT.A GREAT PROGRAM PASSPORT TOHITEC MARCH 18.EXPECT A LARGE CROWD THERE AND A
LOT OF MENTORS AND FOLKS FROMTHE COMMUNITY.GAIL BROWN AND TIFFANY WHITE AGREAT ORGANIZATION.
THANK YOU, BOTH FOR BEING HERE.>> A REMINDER ALL OF OUR