Dr. Evan Glazer, the principal of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, was the keynote speaker at the 2016 K-12 STEM Symposium. Pooja Chandrashekar, now a Harvard student, introduced Glazer, her former principal. Pooja is the founder of the national nonprofit ProjectCSGIRLS, which works to close the tech gender gap. She emphasized that Glazer has empowered more students to take up an interest in STEM.
Glazer acknowledged the need to broaden the diversity in the engagement of underrepresented populations to help broaden STEM programs and the STEM workforce. He also spoke about the six reasons students enter the STEM field, the most popular reason being personal enjoyment and motivation. He explained the barriers and the STEM opportunities for each reason. He highlighted the need for more awareness of what STEM careers are all about.
The Annual K-12 STEM Symposium will be held March 25, 2017 in Herndon, Virginia. The largest K-12 STEM Symposium in the National Capital Region is a free, all-day forum that equally engages local parents, educators and children. Sign up by visiting www.stemsymposium.com. Sponsorships are still available.