Empowering the next generation at STEM for Girls
Published November 05, 2025
Curiosity comes alive at College of Lake County’s (CLC) 12th annual STEM for Girls, a free, hands-on event designed to ignite interest and confidence in girls interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Open to students in grades 6–12, the event is 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 15, at CLC’s Grayslake Campus.
Participants will engage in a variety of interactive STEM activities and enjoy inspiring presentations from professionals and educators who are shaping the future of these fields. The event offers an introduction to college life, helping young women explore new ideas, develop critical thinking skills and envision themselves in STEM careers.
“It’s inspiring to see our faculty share their passion for science, technology, engineering, math and healthcare in such an engaging, hands-on way,” Engineering, Math & Physical Sciences Associate Dean Julia Peterson. “This event reflects the best of what our community college stands for by creating access, sparking curiosity and empowering young women to see themselves as future leaders in STEM.”
Open to school groups, scout troops, youth organizations and individual participants, STEM for Girls provides a space for discovery, learning and fun. The event is co-sponsored by CLC’s Biological & Health Sciences Division and the Engineering, Math & Physical Sciences Division.
“Having worked both in the energy sector and in education, I have witnessed the importance of good pipelines of support into these well-paying careers,” Biological & Health Sciences Associate Dean Michelle Titterton said. “Often women self-select at an early age out of critical classes that can help them later on to succeed in these areas of study. These types of events can help girls see themselves in STEM careers and areas of study. It enables them to foresee a future that they may have never before considered.”
The keynote speaker is Dr. Jamie Vortherms, vice president and general manager of consumer services at Labcorp. Vortherms will share inspirational advice from a career journey that started in pharmacy school and has led to the corporate boardroom.
Parents and guardians are invited to take part in the Parent Panel and Tour. This focuses on how they can guide and support their students in pursuing an education at CLC, covering topics including financial aid, scholarships, college and career navigators and student resources.
Students can choose two of the following sessions:
- Design a Robot with an Artistic Flair
Use the campus makerspace to design and build a robot. Explore a variety of engineering fields while lasering the key components, soldering together the circuitry and adjusting the motor to optimize the artwork produced.
- There’s more to Math than Pencil & Paper
Use trial and error to solve puzzles, build, and create with math in mind.
- Power in Motion: Integrating Pneumatics and Electricity
Explore how pneumatics and electricity drive the world around us—from everyday devices to cutting-edge innovations.
- Wonders of the Earth
Discover the mysteries of our planet and beyond through hands-on exploration and exciting activities. Dive into geology, meteorology and astronomy.
- Scintillating Lights
Find out what LASERs are, how they work and use them to communicate to each other through optical fibers.
- Code Your Own Game on the Web
Learn to program in JavaScript, the language that is used by websites like Netflix, Reddit, Facebook, Amazon, and many others.
- Cause no harm: Nursing in a simulation setting
Learn how nursing simulation helps students learn in a practice hospital setting, with realistic mannequin patients and actual hospital equipment so no one gets hurt.
- Solving Mysteries: One Photo at a Time
Do you like a mystery? Come to our x-ray laboratory and conduct an investigation of your own. You will take and look at x-rays to reveal clues to your quest.
- Let's Crack the Case of the Missing Diagnosis
Step into the role of medical assistants and other allied health careers by using chemical indicators to test for “disease” in simulated patient samples.
- Solve the Mystery, Escape the Health Information Technology Room!
Get ready to solve puzzles, crack codes, and work together to escape the Health Information Technology (HIT) classroom before time runs out.
- BRAAAAAINS: A Brainy Adventure in Dissection
Learn about the human brain’s different regions and functions. During this session, you will get the opportunity to get up-close and personal with the brain while completing a dissection of a sheep brain with a partner.
- Acid, Sugar, Bacteria...OH MY!
Learn the science behind dental cavities while you explore a career in dentistry with College of Lake County Dental Hygiene students.
- Fingerprint Detectives: The Chemistry of Clues
Explore the chemistry behind fingerprints and how scientists use chemical reactions to uncover hidden clues.
- Under the hood and around the car!
Explore what’s really under the hood — and even under the car! Try out real tools, take off wheels, see how a car runs on a chassis Dyno, experiment with diagnostic scan tools and much more.