With students around the Region getting the school day off for President’s Day weekend, NIPSCO hosted its “Introduce a Girl to STEAM” event on Monday, Feb. 17.
More than 300 girls across five states were urged to dream big as they explored innovative careers in science and technology as part of “Introduce a Girl to STEAM,” an inaugural event hosted by the NiSource Charitable Foundation in partnership with NiSource Inc. and its subsidiary Northern Indiana Public Service Company LLC (NIPSCO).
NIPSCO previously hosted "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” for the last several years, and this year, changed the name to encompass and reflect STEAM industries (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). Approximately 80 girls attended Monday's event at NIPSCO’s headquarters in Merrillville.
Karima Hasan Bey, Vice President of Gas Operations at NIPSCO, said she values the event as a way to teach girls at a young age about STEAM opportunities and open their eyes to what could be in store for their future careers.
“We love this event because it’s a way for us to provide some insight into what their future could become,” Hasan Bey said. “This is the opportunity to have STEAM learning top of mind with these girls and give them some exposure now so they aren't surprised later on.”
While engineering is a type of STEAM career, NIPSCO made it a point of emphasis to put together a variety of activities to spark interest that engaged and explored the creative minds of every girl in attendance.
“There are interactive demonstrations, cutting-edge technology, and a lot of real-world applications that the girls will learn about today,” Hasan Bey said. “Our NiSource engineers and STEAM professionals are running a few stations to follow our team challenge where they try to do problem-solving. We also have some successful women in STEAM that came to share their stories.”
The preparation for the annual “Introduce a Girl to STEAM Day” takes a lot of commitment from all the NiSource organizations. This year, NIPSCO partnered with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana for this event.
Denise Koebcke, vice president of philanthropy of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, has partnered with NIPSCO in the past. Once NIPSCO wanted to work together for this event with their organization, they wasted no time getting involved with this event.
“When we had an opportunity to be involved with this STEAM event, our team was filled with excitement,” Koebcke said. “We have 10 Boys & Girls Clubs locations across the Region so it’s heartwarming to offer this experience to the kids from our local clubs.”
A big reason the Boys & Girls Clubs have an interest in this event is because their mission aligns with what NIPSCO wants to see the girls take away from the experience.
“One of the key components to our mission at the Boys & Girls Clubs is to empower our youth to reach their full potential,” Koebcke said. “We want our kids to find the best version of themselves academically and socially to lead into a successful career. The academic gains of a STEAM event are incredible because you get to see these girls do critical thinking and figure out what they’re passionate about.”
Vince Parisi, president of NIPSCO, gave a heartfelt message to all the students at the event.
“It’s exciting to have so many future leaders, innovators and creators here to learn how to use their skills and curiosity,” Parisi said. “We’re thankful for everyone being a part of this event and hopefully we might see some of these faces again in the future.”
For more information on NIPSCO, you can visit its website.