Science rules. Girls rule. Why shouldn’t they rule together? Well, NIPSCO thinks they should. On Monday morning, as a part of the 2015 Engineer's Week, the company hosted around 150 Girl Scouts from Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area to take part of a day filled with science and fun.
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The day was hosted at NIPSCO’s headquarters in Merrillville, but the event was put on by NiSource Inc.’s Developing and Advancing Women at NiSource (DAWN) women’s affinity group. The group has organized the day for the past three years in order for young girls to join in on a day focused on STEM related activities. From a group competition that had them make a fast traveling contraption with NIPSCO’s hard working female employees, to a panel talk with incredible woman engineers, the day was a jam packed, eye-opening experience that immersed the girls into the world of science and engineering.
Violet G. Sistovaris, Senior Vice President and CIO for NiSource, started the event three years ago when the opportunity arose to connect DAWN with young girls throughout the community. The impression that the women of NIPSCO could leave on the girls was something they couldn’t leave by the wayside.
“Statistics show that girls drop their interest in STEM fields at a certain age because they think that it isn’t cool or that it’s just a boy thing. We really try to show them at an early age that engineering is all about thinking creatively, about building creatively, and solving different problems along the way,” Sistovaris explained. “We want to introduce them to the opportunity and to show them that they absolutely can do all of those things.”
Kathleen Szot, Senior Manager for Consumer Marketing and Communications at NIPSCO, also explained that the day served as starting point for many of the girls to realize their potential.
“I think you never have enough female leaders here in Northwest Indiana and especially in a major company like NIPSCO,” Szot stated. “We are always going to be looking for talented people, and the more we can do to help foster that from a young age, it helps them realize that NIPSCO and others can be their avenue to become a future example for other young women.”
The Moms and adult leaders of each troop had similar feelings about the importance of the girl’s experience. Amy Aldrich, who is from Lowell and has made the trip to the event twice, expressed that the day’s activities could be an eye opener for many of the girls in attendance.
“I think this really broadens their horizons and helps their imaginations to think that they could be a part of something they didn’t even realize that they could do,” Aldrich explained. “I think that today really could perk the interest of the girls here. My daughter loves it and I feel like the rest of them do too.”
Unsurprisingly, the girls did seem to love it. Hannah Rose, who came all the way from Rensselaer, was glad the day really let her do the things she’s interested in.
“I’ve had a lot of fun today. I love science and math classes. It’s something that I’ve always been interested in,” Rose stated. ”Its never bothered me that a lot of people think it’s a boy thing - I just like what I like.”
With the confidence in some girls and the fun the younger girls had, it’s clear that NIPSCO will have no problem finding future female leaders in the STEM industry. Every girl that attended Monday’s event ruled, and there shouldn’t be any doubt that some of those girls will rule together as engineers and beyond.