The Memphis Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, Inc. will host its second annual S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Conference for teens age 12-19 on Saturday, April 14, from 9:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Benjamin Hooks Central Library.
The Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead Conference is a free and interactive event that will include workshops on website design, coding, robotics, science, graphic design, audio-visual production, dance and artistic design. The spotlight will be on an array of careers in S.T.E.A.M.
S.T.E.A.M. professionals will lead sessions that will explore opportunities and provide demonstrations in architecture, audio-visual engineering, cinema, creative arts, medicine, technology and more. Free lunch will be provided to all attendees.
Vanecia Belser Kimbrow, Esq., president of the Jack & Jill Memphis Chapter, said it’s the second year for the S.T.E.A.M. Conference. It’s made possible through a FedEx grant that positions the local organization to produce an event that “aligns with the aim of our national organization which is ‘to seek for all children the same advantages which we desire for our own.’”
One of our goals is to foster future leaders, she said.
“In order to help children become future leaders, we would like to expose the children of Memphis to all of the many possibilities life has to offer, particularly in the areas of S.T.E.A.M. Through the exposure to a wide variety of careers in these concentrated areas, our children will see that the employment opportunities are limitless. We want to help empower them both intellectually and economically to become agents of change in our community.”
Kimbrow said the conference also is designed to emphasize to participants that the “entirety of their lives is not defined by their present circumstances or situations; every child should know that with thorough preparation, their hopes, goals, and dreams are attainable.”
The event chairs are Dr. Sandra Nichols and Myra McCaskill Crenshaw, CPA. In addition to FedEx and chapter members, support is being provided by Memphis Library Foundation and Cloud901.
