City of Tucson press release:
April 6, 2021
The City of Tucson’s Business Initiatives Bureau announces open registration for Arizona’s second SheTech Explorer Day, due to take place in a virtual format on April 22nd. SheTech Explorer Day is a one-day event that gives high school girls an opportunity to engage in science. Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) through hands-on activities alongside mentors from industry and encouraging them to contemplate STEM careers.
SheTech Explorer Day is expected to attract around 150 girls from high schools in the area and connect them with STEM professionals and college partners including Pima JTED, UArizona, Paragon, FreeFall Aerospace, Microsoft TEALS, Edmund Optics, NP Photonics and Darling Geomatics and IBM at other. The girls will take part in workshops hosted by industry professionals from these and other organizations that will help students develop the skills and confidence necessary for an eventual STEM career.
In addition to working with leading industrial partners, the students will receive keynote addresses from Katie Schwertz, Design Engineering Manager at Edmund Optics, and Susan Gray, President and CEO of Tucson Electric Power. The girls will also hear words of encouragement from Senator Sinema, Mayor Romero and Vice Mayor Nikki Lee.
“We are excited to offer this opportunity to our young women in Tucson. It was very well received last year and we know the importance of encouraging young women early on for future careers in the STEM industry,” said Mayor Regina Romero .
A program like SheTech also supports the local workforce pipeline, according to Barbra Coffee, director of business initiatives for the city of Tucson.
“SheTech aims to inspire young women to pursue careers in areas that will help us grow and attract high-wage industries to our community,” said Coffee.
With the start of SheTech Explorer Day last year at the University of Arizona Tech Parks, Arizona became the fourth state to host the event. SheTech, a program launched by the Women Tech Council in 2014, was first launched in Utah and now has chapters in Colorado, Idaho, and Arizona. The March 2020 event had around 150 girls and was supported by local industry and university partners.
“It’s that connection with the local industry that is so important,” Coffee said. “When a high school girl has the opportunity to meet a young professional engineer, she begins to see a path she may not have seen before.”
Due to concerns about the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s SheTech Explorer Day will be hosted via Zoom. The event is presented with support from Raytheon, Pima Community College, Tucson Electric Power, BRINK Media, Pima County, Tech Parks in Arizona, and Optics Valley.
Students, parents, or schools interested in SheTech Explorer Day Arizona should visit the SheTech AZ website.
About the Tucson City Business Initiatives Office:
The City of Tucson’s Business Initiatives Bureau coordinates the city’s economic development programs to attract jobs and investment to the city of Tucson. The Business Initiatives Office also provides local support for small business and entrepreneurship and promotes workforce development to foster a long-term sustainable and diverse local economy. For more information or to contact the Office of Economic Initiatives, visit ConnectTucson.com.
About the Women Tech Council: The Women Tech Council (WTC) is a national organization focused on the economic impact of women on the growth of the technology sector by developing programs that span the economic pipeline from K-12 to C-Suite drive forward. WTC provides mentoring, visibility, opportunity, and networking to more than 10,000 women and men working in technology to create business environments that are geared towards high performance and in which men and women can thrive. This drives individual careers and the talent pipeline by ensuring a strong, diverse, and entrepreneurial technology workforce. For more information on the Women Tech Council, visit: WomentechCouncil.org.
This press release was produced by the City of Tucson. The views expressed here are the author’s own.
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