The SheTech Explorer Days are back, and there is literally something for every young woman at this event.
SheTech is put on by the Women Tech Council as a hands-on tech conference for high school girls. The day includes a plethora of interactive hands-on workshops centered on science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. Girls who attend can explore robotics, computer programming, digital media, chemistry, health and microbiology.
Cydni Tetro, co-founder and president of the Women Tech Council, is very excited about how much SheTech has grown since its inception in 2014. From just about 300 girls then, Tetro said this week she expects more than 2,000 girls will be attending Thursday’s event at the Mountain America Exposition Center (formerly the South Towne Expo Center). Attendees will also rub shoulders with more than 400 industry mentors.
New this year is the SheTech pathways — Bio and Med, Coding, Megamaterials, Robots and Tech Up. Girls can pick their pathway at registration, and concentrate their exploring to booths and mentors who are experts in that specialty. All of the pathways offer a variety of activities.
“The most powerful thing about SheTech is you don’t have to know what you want to do,” Tetro said. “We just want them to know that technology will be a part of it.”
Tetro said she and her team are excited that they are finally at a place where they are starting to see results from their efforts in organizing SheTech. Tetro said colleges in Utah and beyond are reporting mentions of SheTech on applications by young women who are going into STEM fields.