The University of Waterloo will this week host its annual conference intended to increase an interest in math-related careers among girls
Waterloo, ON (Wednesday, May 22, 2013) - The University of Waterloo will this week host its annual conference intended to increase an interest in math-related careers among girls.
Forty girls in grade 9 classes across Ontario will attend Think About Math on Friday, May 24 at the Waterloo campus. The one-day workshop, now in its fifth year, highlights interesting careers and applications of mathematics.
"The goal of this workshop is to boost girls' confidence in mathematics and inform them about the number of fulfilling careers open to them when they study math," said Jen Nelson, a lecturer in the Faculty of Mathematics at Waterloo, and Director of Think About Math. "We hear anecdotally that this event is an eye-opening experience for many of the girls who attend."
In the morning, the girls will meet with female Waterloo math alumni who are working in a variety of exciting careers. They will get a chance to ask questions about career paths and work-life balance in a career-fair setting. The career fair takes place from 10:30 a.m. to noon in the Davis Centre atrium.
In the afternoon, the girls will participate in two different interactive workshops. In the first session, called Extreme Makeover: Math Edition, the girls will explore math in popular culture, how pop culture makes it difficult for girls to connect with mathematics, and ways they can change how math is perceived and consumed. It will take place in room 3103 in the Mathematics 3 building from 1:00 - 2:15 p.m. In the second workshop, Math and Minds, the girls will see how math is used in neuroscience. In this session, the girls will learn how the brain can be seen as a computational device. It takes place in the same location immediately following, and goes until 3:45 p.m.
Photos from past Think About Math workshops are available at: http://cemc.uwaterloo.ca/events/pictures_tam.html
For more information, please visit: http://www.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/events/tam.html
For a schedule of events please visit: http://www.cemc.uwaterloo.ca/events/2013_TAM_schedule.pdf
