Approximately 20 seventh-grade girls from Isaac E. Young and Albert Leonard middle schools, in addition to their parents, participated in a recent Barnard College conference on the educational opportunities and careers available to girls in the areas of science, math, engineering, and technology. The “Explore Your Opportunities: The Sky’s the Limit” conference, which was sponsored by the American Association of University Women, included keynote speaker Dr. Ray Ann DePrisco Havasy, Professor of Education at the New York Institute of Technology.
During the daylong event, the girls participated in a number of hands-on workshops on various topics, including how the brain works, the characteristics of plankton, food, origami, and math. The adults in the group attended a number of college awareness sessions on the financial aid process and college admissions. Accompanying the group were Gregoria Feliciano, coordinator of the district’s GEAR UP and 21st Century Skills programs; Dr. Lovelle Ruggiero; and Science Department Chairs Marselle Heyward and John Pratt.