Earlier this month students from New Horizons Education Program, attended the Women Can Do conference in Randolph, Vt. Women Can Do is organized and run by Vermont Works for Women – an organization that helps girls and young women recognize their potential and pursue opportunities for education and training in careers that will lead to economic self sufficiency. Lund is proud to have worked with Vermont Works for Women over various initiatives and projects for many years.
From the Vermont Works for Women website:
“Women Can Do is a one-day career immersion experience for 9-12th grade girls from across Vermont. It features dozens of hands-on workshops and action stations highlighting careers in the skilled trades and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields.
Hands-on workshops are led mostly by women professionals in the skilled trades or science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. At Women Can Do, girls operate excavators, weld, climb fire ladders, build robots, design 3D models, create online games, wield chainsaws, extract DNA from cells, or change tires. More than 35 workshops highlight careers in architecture and engineering, computer programming, green energy, natural resources, public safety and health, communications, trades, and other non-traditional careers for women.”
NHEP students explored working with cows, fixing cars, driving heavy machines like big diggers (which, for one of our students, was the FIRST vehicle she ever drove!), solving wildlife crimes, and simulated building microchips with Legos. The highlight for a few was being able to climb the 50-foot ladder of a fire truck in uniform. This conference was an excellent reminder that there is plenty of room for women to enter what are traditionally male-dominated careers. Our students came back that day feeling better educated about future possibilities and more empowered that Women Can Do.
