On Tuesday, November 7, Upper School Girls in STEM hosted its annual Girl Powered Day initiative on Viewpoint’s campus. During the event, 30 Fourth and Fifth Grade girls were invited to learn more about STEM through several hands-on activities led by Upper School volunteers. 

The 'Under the Sea' themed event offered three engaging activities. The first involved an interactive session where students had the opportunity to learn about ocean cleanup by programming robots through a grid. In the second room, the focus was on buoyancy, teaching students the principles behind objects floating. The final room provided a chance for students to create their own aquariums, offering a hands-on lesson about density.

“It can be really hard being a girl in STEM because this field is predominantly male. When I was younger, I wish I would have had this type of exposure. It's great to be able to help out in any way I can,” said Olivia Lakhani ’26 and member of Girls in STEM.

Girl Powered is a national initiative that was founded back in 2016 by The Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation and VEX Robotics. Since then, Viewpoint, along with other schools across the country, have joined in the commitment to encourage diversity and introduce girls to the vast world of science and technology.

“I think it’s so important for girls to see other girls who are interested in STEM. It’s really a safe space and allows them to be around people who are interested in the same things without any pressure,” said Nancy Rush, Upper School Science Teacher and STEM Coordinator. “I think it also makes Upper School girls remember where their interest started. It’s fun to see them as excited as the Fourth and Fifth Graders.”