Watch for future AAUW Tech Savvy Conference information!
Questions about the Illinois AAUW Tech Savvy Conference?
Send an email to AAUWILTechSavvy@gmail.com
2019 AAUW Tech Savvy Conference held at Lewis University,
AAUW Tech Savvy is a daylong Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) career conference designed to attract girls in sixth through ninth grade to these fields and to inform families about STEM education and careers. The Chicagoland AAUW Tech Savvy Conference is based on a similar conference held successfully at the University of Buffalo.
Below are typical workshop sessions offered at our Tech Savvy conference:
Sample Tech Savvy Sessions FROM PREVIOUS YEARS: Girls should pick 3 workshops:
1. It’s Electric Be a design engineer and build a battery-powered car while exploring the physics of simple circuits and wiring diagrams.
2. DNA: Life’s Blueprint Discover the link between DNA and heredity, using strawberries!
3. Neuroscience All of our senses involve the brain, including sleep, so we’ll learn about our brains and sleep.
4. Nanotechnology Explore the common materials used to make solar cells, and assemble these cells into a solar panel.
5. Architecture and Design Thinking
6. Robotics Build and remote control a Lego Robot.
7. Create Your Own App Use the MIT App Inventor to design your own app!
8. Vertebrate Paleobiology Examine fossils, using them to reconstruct an ancient ecosystem.
9. Roller Coaster Physics – Energy in Motion Make energy transform into motion and observe how a roller coaster moves from potential to kinetic energy.
11. Airplanes are Awesome Come build and fly your own airplane.
12. Infrared Astronomy: More than Your Eyes Can See Learn how NASA astronomers use the SOFIA telescope to see beyond the visible light spectrum into infrared. Build your own infrared detector and “listen to light”. Learn how to use infrared light to power your cell phone and more.
Sample Leadership Skills Afternoon Workshops FROM PREVIOUS YEARS: Girls can pick ONE
1. Assertiveness 101 Assertiveness in a male-dominated field.
2. Leading Leaders Learn about your leadership style and how it works for you.
3. What does your Selfie say about you? A self-empowerment workshop to build up your self-esteem.
4. Having Fun with Public Speaking Building confidence in public speaking by fun activities that require speaking in front of the group.
5. Turning Ideas into Reality Enhance your creativity and learn to use your gray matter.
6. Yoga How yoga can help us be grounded and relieve stress.
7. Networking
8. Go Team! Impress your peers with amazing relationship building techniques.
Sample Parent/Care Giver Tech Savvy Skills workshops FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, Parents can choose TWO
1. Social Media Use of Social Media and how it can affect your kids.
2. Assertiveness 101 No one can live your life but you. Role play and practice taking action for yourself.
3. Scholarships Discover what scholarships are out there and how to help you prepare and apply for them.
4. Create an App Use the MIT App inventor to design your own app!