What Does a Scientist Do?

For a company that makes devices as varied as medical implants and products intended for use in outer space, welcoming dozens of 10-year-old girls into their offices was as natural as cheering for their kids’ soccer team. NuSil Technology, which manufactures silicone and finished parts, partnered with Girls, Inc. of Carpinteria to expose about 60 fifth-graders to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) careers among the company staff. They created four different hands-on stations to show the young women how silicone materials were made and what they could be used for.

NuSil’s Dawn Howard talked about how much their visitors enjoyed the program: “The girls’ faces light up as we talk about silicone, how it’s made, where it’s used, and how it changes lives every day.” Howard said in a press release that it was exciting to mentor and inspire “the next generation of engineers, chemists, doctors, and so much more.”

Girls Inc. holds STEM field trips for its members every Friday, and the nonprofit is currently looking for new businesses to visit. Girls Inc.’s Victoria Juarez is arranging STEM Fridays and can be reached at vjuarez@girlsinc-carp.org or (805) 684-6364. More information about the group can be found at Girls Inc. of Carpinteria.