Alliant Energy has partnered with University of Wisconsin – Platteville for its ‘Alliant Energy Pioneering Your Future in STEM’ initiative. This event, which took place on February 25 and will take place again on March 17, is open to girls in fifth through eighth grade. Individuals, chaperoned school groups, home school groups, and girl scout troops are all welcome. Pioneering Your Future in STEM is a collaboration of women faculty, staff and students from STEM programs at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville such as agriculture, astronomy, biology, geography, geology, animal science, chemistry, computer science, dairy science, engineering, industrial studies, math, physics, and sustainability and renewable energy systems.
This event is run by female students and female faculty and staff from UW-Platteville STEM programs, such as agriculture, astronomy, biology, geography, geology, animal science, chemistry, computer science, dairy science, engineering, industrial studies, math, physics, and sustainability and renewable energy systems.
Through this initiative, the students are able to explore careers with hands-on interactive sessions such as, critical thinking, experimenting, learning the design process, and using problem solving skills to solve real-world challenges. “It was so fun to see these young people today, when the light bulb went on, or they’d discover something or try something. It was very cool,” said Julie Bauer – Executive Director, Alliant Energy Foundation of the first Pioneering Your Future event this year.
Alliant has partnered with communities across the Midwest to improve the STEM industry, including giving back through contributions and sponsorships such as the aforementioned. Alliant Energy mentors young girls and women in STEM careers because the challenges of the future will need innovative solutions from every great mind we can find.
“My favorite part about this event is watching [the girls] listen to the student speaker. That look on their face, like ‘Yeah, I can do this. Look at her. Look at all these women here.’ It’s just that mentoring piece. They can see, ‘I can do this too.’ Lots of girl power. Alliant Energy girl power.” Kim Sargent, Special Programs Manager – UW-Platteville.
The next event will be taking place on March 17th. To register or learn more about the initiative, please visit https://www.uwplatt.edu/pyf-stem, and connect with Alliant Energy on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.