REGIONAL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> THANK YOU. >> THE SECOND ANNUAL "GEMS" CONFERENCE WILL SHOW GIRLS IN
5TH AND 6TH GRADES THE WONDERS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH, WITH A VARIETY OF HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES.
AND THEY CAN EXPLORE A VARIETY STEM OPPORTUNITIES DURING A CAREER EXPO. DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
FOR THE MONROE COUNTY COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION, DR. DEB PRENKERT, AND GRANDVIEW ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL LISA
ROBERTS ARE HERE WITH HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EVENT. WELCOME! >> I'LL START WITH YOU IN TERMS
OF GEMS, WHAT IS THE EVENT ALL ABOUT? >> SO THAT STANDS FOR GIRLS IN ENGINEERING, MATH AND SCIENCE.
AND IT'S A GREAT EVENT WHERE THE GIRLS GET TO COME OUT, FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE GIRLS IN MONROE COUNTY SCHOOL CORPORATION AND
MONROE COUNTY CAN COME AND LEARN ABOUT SCIENCE CAREERS, LEARN ABOUT DIFFERENT AREAS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY,
AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THOSE A LITTLE FURTHER AND LEARN ABOUT THEM. >> HOW DID THE IDEA COME ABOUT?
AGAIN, THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR, PART OF MAYBE A MORE BROAD FOCUS ON STEM IN MONROE COUNTY SCHOOLS?
>> IT IS A REAL FOCUS, I THINK NATIONWIDE, STATEWIDE IT'S A REAL FOCUS TO BE ABLE TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN AND OUR STUDENTS
ABOUT THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND THESE CAREER PATHS. WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT STUDENTS PICKING AND SELECTING
COURSES AT AN EARLY AGE SO IF THEY KNOW THESE OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR THEM, IT MIGHT DIRECT THEIR AREAS OF STUDY.
>> LISA, TALK ABOUT THE EVENT ITSELF. APRIL 14TH, YOU HAVE A BIG FULL DAY OF ACTIVITIES.
TAKE US KIND OF INSIDE WHAT THESE YOUNG GIRLS ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE AT THIS EVENT. >> THE REGISTRATION STARTS AT
7:30, THEY COME IN AT 8:00 AND GO THROUGH A CAREER EXPO. THEY'RE LED BY MANY HIGH SCHOOL CHAPERONS AND THEY GET TO BE
ABLE TO TALK ONE ON ONE WITH FEMALES IN ROLES OF STEM-RELATED OCCUPATIONS. AFTER THAT, WE MOVE THEM INTO
GROUPS AND TAKE THEM THROUGH TOPIC PRESENTATIONS WHERE THEY GET TO EXPLORE AND DO HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES WITH MANY DIFFERENT
PEOPLE FROM MANY DIFFERENT COMPANIES AROUND INDIANA AND MOSTLY AROUND MONROE COUNTY. SO THEY'RELY LOOKING FORWARD TO
THAT. WE HAVE SOME KIDS THAT ARE REPEATING THIS YEAR THAT CAME LAST YEAR, AND HAVE GROWN WITH
EXCITEMENT TO DO SOME NEW THINGS. >> THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY COOL MENTORING, THE ROLE MODEL
ASPECT. IN YOUR VIEW, HOW IMPORTANT IS THAT FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE TO ACTUALLY SEE WOMEN AND
PROFESSIONALS AND OTHERS TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS? >> IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE GIRLS
MOVING INTO HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THEY ARE JUST LEARNING TO DIRECT THE PATH OF WHAT THEY WANT TO DO AND THEY PICK CLASSES.
TO BE ABLE TO TALK WITH THESE ROLE MODELS THAT ARE DOING IT, THEY SEE THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY HAVE AN OPTION TO DO THESE
ACTIVITIES, WHERE THEY MAY NOT THINK GOING IN, I WANT TO DO A SCIENCE ACTIVITY OR I WANT TO DO ENGINEERING.
SEEING WOMEN DO THIS REALLY GETS THEM EXCITED. IT'S NOT JUST THEM LOOKING AT SCIENCE BUT DIFFERENT AREAS,
STUDYING MAKEUP AND WHAT GOES INTO MAKEUP. I KNOW THAT'S FEMALE-OR YENTED BUT WE HAVE AN ACTIVITY WHERE
THEY'LL CREATE A TIRE RIM AND SEE HOW THAT CAN BE WITHSTOOD WITH WEIGHT OR DIFFERENT THINGS. SO IT'S JUST BEING ABLE TO
INVESTIGATE WHAT'S GOING ON IN MANY DIFFERENT STEM-RELATED OCCUPATIONS. >> DR. PRIN KERT, THE IMPORTANCE
IN YOUR VIEW OF HAVING AN EVENT LIKE THIS IN FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE, IN THE GRADE SCHOOLS AT THE YOUNGER AGE, AND EXPOSING
YOUNG PEOPLE TO THESE OPPORTUNITIES? >> IT JUST REALLY SHOWS THEM WHAT'S OUT THERE, WHAT
OPPORTUNITIES CAN AWAIT THEM, AND IT MAY HELP THEM, LIKE I SAID, KIND OF GUIDE THEIR PATH IN SELECTION OF COURSES AND
INTERNSHIPS AND MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, SO WE REALLY HOPE THIS IS A CATALYST TO HELP THEM SEE THE FUTURE AND SEE WHAT
POTENTIAL POSSIBILITIES ARE OUT THERE FOR THEM. >> THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF A LOT OF THINGS YOU'RE DOING AT
GRANDVIEW, RIGHT? >> IT IS. GRANDVIEW IS A STEM-CERTIFIED SCHOOL, AND SO TO PUT REAL WORLD
EXPERIENCES IN THE HANDS OF ALL THOSE KIDS, IT'S MADE LEARNING SO MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE AND THEY'RE EXCITED TO COME TO
SCHOOL EVERY DAY. SO TO TAKE THOSE FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE GIRLS AND EXTEND THAT ON THE WEEKEND IS AN EXCELLENT
OPPORTUNITY. >> ALL RIGHT. A BIG EVENT, THE GEMS EVENT WILL BE HELD APRIL 14TH AT
BLOOMINGTON NORTH HIGH SCHOOL, CORRECT? >> CORRECT. >> IT WILL BE A BIG DAY FOR A
LOT OF YOUNG WOMEN IN MONROE COUNTY. AND DR. DEB FROM MONROE COUNTY