STEM enrichment program introduces Anderson-area girls to career paths, college

Lyric Clark, left, and her sister Alicia Smith watch a presentation during a classroom session that was part of a STEM enrichment program held at Purdue Polytechnic Anderson. (The Herald Bulletin photo/Andy Knight)

A STEM enrichment program offered through a partnership between Purdue Polytechnic Anderson and the Sistas of Royalty, a mentoring program, is building interest in attending college amongst sixth grade girls.

Fay Barber-Dansby“I don’t know where I want to go to college yet, but I know I want to go,” said Lyric Clark, a student at Anderson Intermediate School.

The five-day program helped introduce 25 girls to potential academic paths and potential careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The October program focused on food supply chain management.

“Industries are basically just begging for (workers),” said Fay Barber-Dansby, senior lecturer in the School of Engineering Technology at Purdue Polytechnic Anderson. “There is a high, high demand and a lot of jobs going unfilled, probably millions, in supply chain. We’ve known with COVID the challenges in supply chains that we’ve had.”

Students from Anderson Community Schools, homeschool students and other mentoring programs learned about studying at Purdue Polytechnic Anderson and about how they could eventually work in local companies in various sectors.

“We’re committed to helping this community of girls be all they can be,” Barber-Dansby said. “Of course they’re going to be potential students of ours, but we work so closely with many industries, and they say do all you can.”

See the full story in The Herald Bulletin by Andy Knight.

Additional information

People in this Article: