IYM 2018 was a great success, and there are exciting plans for IYM 2019
What do plastic flakes, fire engines, 3D CAD drawings, laser printing, ice cream made with liquid nitrogen, virtual reality, painted walls that turn on the lights when touched, an anaechoic chamber and early morning exercise all have in common?
These were all part of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) experiences that 40 young women on the Innovative Young Minds (IYM) 2018 programme shared.
IYM 2018 was a fun-filled week packed with a broad range of science and technology activities showcasing the extensive range of STEM careers and opportunities in the Hutt Valley and Wellington region. We added a dash of bowling, a parliamentary reception in the Grand Hall and some networking techniques, taught by Amanda Santos, CEO of Tekron Ltd, to complete the experience.
Panels of women working in a broad range of science fields from science writing, to business management, to research, to Health and Safety, answered a wide range of career questions from the students.
Throughout the week the common themes the girls heard were:
- Your career path won’t be linear
- Follow your passions
- We all suffer from self-doubt, but push through – BACK YOURSELF
- Take every opportunity that comes your way
- Reach out to others, find a mentor, ask for help
- Challenge yourself
- WORK HARD!
Innovative Young Minds 2018 was proudly supported by:
Rotary Hutt City
Hutt City Council
Resene
WelTec
Futureintech
Hutt Mana Charitable Trust
GK Shaw Ltd
Flight Plastics
Fraser Engineering Group
Roy Southward Estate
Victoria University of Wellington
DCR Rentals
Silverstream Retreat
GNS Science
Callaghan Innovation
WREDA - Wellington Economic Development Agency
Callaghan Innovation
Massey University College of Health