STEM for Everyone!
More than 3,600 people attended the 4th annual STEM Symposium, held at the Nysmith School for the Gifted in Herndon, Va. Among the dozens of exhibitors was the local, student-organized group, STEM 3G (Gives Gifted Girls). Run by Northern Virginia-area students Aria Gupta, Shaalini Desai and Ankitha Anumolu, the program fosters STEM education among girls through educational activities and team-building exercises. Here, a member of STEM 3G helps a young participant in a round of structure-building, using toothpicks and mini-marshmallows. The exercise engages problem-solving and design to create free-standing structures—just don’t eat the marshmallows!