PTC hosts 11th Annual Women in Technology event

Photo above: Sixth-grade girls gather around a SimMan (Simulation Manikin) for a hands-on workshop introducing them to healthcare careers.


Photo above: Kathy Wallace, Principal, Cuningham Group Architecture, presents and leads a workshop, "Green Architecture."

Pine Technical College is in the midst of hosting the Eleventh Annual Women in Technology (WIT) two-day event. Over the course of two days, PTC will host more than 260 sixth-grade girls from six area schools. The event began today and wraps tomorrow and is organized by PTC faculty and staff members. It features hands-on demonstrations, a tour of the college and guest presentations such as “Fun with Robotics,” “Making Silver Metal,” “The Energy Industry,” “Virtual Reality,” “What’s in My Lipstick?” and more.

“Research has shown girls at this age begin to formulate ideas regarding what careers they may see themselves pursuing in the future,” says PTC Dean of Student Affairs Nancy Mach. “We’ve designed this event to help young girls see and imagine themselves in roles where they are contributing to advanced, hi-tech industries. Many girls at this impressionable age are forming thoughts about what they want to do when they grow up, and this kind of field trip makes a lasting, positive impression,” Mach adds.

By the time WIT concludes on Mar. 9, nearly every sixth-grade girl from Braham, Grantsburg, Wisc., Mora, Pine City and Rush City will have experienced WIT. Sixth-grade girls from Braham Area Elementary School in Braham, C.E. Jacobson Elementary School in Rush City, Grantsburg Middle School in Grantsburg, Wisc., Pine City Elementary in Pine City, St. Mary’s School in Pine City and Trailview Elementary School in Mora are participating in this year’s WIT event.

“Every year, we look forward to sending our sixth-grade girls to this event,” says Wendy Wall, Counselor at Grantsburg Middle School. “They come back with such enthusiasm for careers in technology and science they may not have considered yet,” Wall adds.


Photo above: Representatives from AVEDA, Inc. present and lead a workshop, "What's in my Lipstick?"