Roseau, Dominica – April 24, 2024: The Stem Girls Club will be officially launched during a ceremony at the Mahaut Primary School on April 25, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. April 25, 2024, is recognized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as Girls in ICT Day.
This year’s theme for the Girls in ICT Day celebrations is “Leadership”, to underscore the critical need for strong female role models in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers.
The Stem Girls Club was established in the Mahaut Constituency in 2023 to create and foster an ecosystem that nourishes the interest, talent, and intellectual capital of girls and women in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
The Club provides an opportunity for girls to explore STEM careers and to identify education and training opportunities to address the structural barriers and gaps that have been identified in various research studies on gender equality and ICTs.
Parliamentary Representatives for the Mahaut Constituency, Cassanni Laville, Dr. Jermaine Jewel Jean-Pierre, Ms. Mellisa Graham, and Mrs. Nicole Laville are leading the initiative which targets girls ages 8 – 16 years. Several STEM-related activities have been held since August 2023 including a field trip to the Oxygen Plant at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital, a learning session on the Properties of Cement and Concrete with Civil Engineer, Cassanni Laville, and creating building structures from marshmallows and spaghetti, among others.
Cassanni Laville, the Minister for Health, Wellness and Social Services, Honourable Chekira Lockhart-Hypolite, Minister of State in the Ministry of Public Works, Public Utilities and the Digital Economy will address the function. The feature address will be delivered by Mrs. Jessica Ricketts-Esprit, CEO of Triage Health.