Penn College News

Campus Tradition Reaffirms Coolness of Being 'SMART'

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

A smile that says "Success" in a Lego robot exerciseMaking headway – and making friends – in a computer labCalculating SMART Girls consider "The Science of Baking."High schoolers listen to Michael K. Patterson, an award-winning member of the college's welding faculty ... ... then apply what they learn in the Avco-Lycoming Metal Trades Center.The so-called STEM careers – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – took center stage as SMART (Science & Math Applications in Real-World Technologies) Girls returned to Penn College this week.

The popular program was begun in March 2001 to expose young women to careers in emerging technological fields while boosting their foundation (and their confidence) in math and the sciences. The June 16-19 residential offering, coordinated by the Outreach for K-12 office, hosted girls entering grades nine to 12 and included workshops in gaming, web design, hospitality and welding.
Photos by Whitnie-Rae Mays, student photographer