Macon County 4-H presents Breaking SySTEMic Barriers.
This fun, interactive STEM workshop is a virtual opportunity geared toward underrepresented youth who are interested in pursuing a career in a STEM field. With multiple options of breakout room topics to choose from, participants will learn first-hand from STEM professionals whom they can relate to about what they do in their field, how they got there, and what they should expect as they start to venture into the professional world. Packed with hands-on activities and an opportunity to talk with a panel of experts, this event is meant to provide a fun learning opportunity and open doors to careers in a field that is historically male-dominated, breaking systemic traditions and expectations.
 

Schedule of Events

• 10-10:10 a.m. - Welcome
• 10:10-10:30 a.m. - Breakout Session 1
• 10:30-10:35 a.m. - Break
• 10:35-10:55 a.m. - Breakout Session 2
• 10:55-11 a.m. - Break
• 11-11:20 a.m. - Breakout Session 3
• 11:20-11:25 a.m. - Break
• 11:25-11:55 a.m. - Q & A Panel
• 11:55 a.m. - Noon - Program Closure
   

Free to attend! $7 for a kit.
Free kit for 4-Hers.

Register by April 2 with kits and April 8 without!

Please register separately for each person attending. If three people are attending, please register three times. 
 

Breakout Session Descriptions

"Shaping" with a Behavior Analyst
Sam Smalley (she/her/hers), Board-Certified Behavior Analyst

Learn about what a behavior analyst does. You will learn about the functions of behavior, how behavior can be changed, and new skills learned, as well as a better understanding of people with disabilities. Sammy will talk about the more scientific side of her field e.g. data analysis, experimental design, and making data-based decisions. Our hands-on activity is about “shaping”. You will get to see how we can show or teach someone a new skill by simply by understanding what is reinforcing to the individual and working with that knowledge to create behavior change. It will be fun and silly, so bring your creativity!

Make a "Cabbage Indicator"
Stephanie Gates (she/her/hers), Postdoctoral Researcher focusing on biological mechanisms

Learn about acids, bases, and pH levels by making a “Cabbage Indicator”. In this activity, you will be able to test the pH level of various household substances that you can find around your house like milk, vinegar, laundry detergent, and more. After making your cabbage indicator, you will be able to test your items to determine if they’re acids or bases.
 

Create a "Goals Board"
Rosana Buchanan (she/her/hers), Doctorate student in Business Administration with specialization in Healthcare Administration

Create a “Goals Board” to help you plan out your STEM goals, how to reach them, and when you want to complete them.

Creating a Friendly Backyard for Your Wildest Neighbors
Brooke Troxell (she/her/hers), Science Teacher

Do you love seeing a visiting butterfly, bird, or frog on your porch or in your backyard?  Learn how to Create a Friendly Backyard for some of your wildest neighbors!"

Embracing Failure: Is failure a bad thing?
Erika Berhardt (she/her/hers), Reliability Engineer

Embracing Failure: Is failure a bad thing? Some of the most influential scientists and engineers would be unheard of if they did not embrace failure and learn from it. Consider a light bulb, an electric motor, a computer, or NASA’s Mars rover. None of these innovations would exist without the countless failures that went into figuring out how to make them work. In this activity, we will be taking on a near impossible task to see how we can learn from our failures and how they make us stronger and bring us that much closer to success. 

Explore Chemical Reactions
Annaka Stoeckel (she/her/hers), Process Engineer

Explore chemical reactions and how they are used in engineering with a fun activity using vinegar, baking soda, and balloons.
 

Pesticide Residue Reviews
Kadriye Hieronymi (she/her/hers), Scientist, Regulatory & Scientific

Kadriye will lead a session for pesticide residue reviews of a food ingredient. Participants will compare the required limits in regulations and compare it to results received from an analytical lab.

Environmental Engineering and Discovering Environmental Contamination
Shawn Shiffer (she/her/hers), Environmental Engineer

I will talk about my experience as an environmental engineer and how varied environmental engineering is.  We will then work through what it is like to discover environmental contamination and clean it up.

Cost Savings, Planning, and Analyzing
Anshita Lalwani (she/her/hers), Financial Planner & Analysis Manager

Ever thought how can 100+100 = 192? Tune in my breakout room to learn more! This activity relates to how can cost savings be achieved within ADM!

Contact Olivia (she/her/hers) by email or call 217.877.6042 with questions. 
 

If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate, please contact the event coordinator via email or by calling 217.877.6042. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your needs, when possible.