GIRL POWER

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October 21, 2024

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here. 

Building interest and confidence in STEM while recognizing International Day of the Girl are the goals of Notre Dame Prep’s “Girl Powered Workshop” to be held this afternoon.

Notre Dame Prep is proud to be one of the hundreds of Girl Powered workshops that will take place around the world during the month of October, coinciding with the United Nations’ International Day of the Girl earlier this month.

Today, five members of NDP’s VEX Robotics team will be hosting an event this afternoon in the chemistry room (C-5) from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Brynn Caffrey, Sehaj Gill, Vanessa Artinian, Sofia Arinez and Brooklyn Haddad are encouraging other NDP students in grades 3 through 8 to visit the workshop later today.

Girl Powered is a global initiative created through a partnership between the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation and VEX Robotics, who are working to redefine the face of STEM and make robotics reflective of the diverse world we live in, and the one we want to leave behind.

The workshops are meant to engage and inform young women about STEM, connect young women with mentors, highlight examples of how women are changing the world, provide tools for success, and offer an environment where all students’ confidence and abilities can flourish.

According to Louise Palardy, Notre Dame Prep chemistry teacher, STEM specialist and manager of the school's robotics center, the event today will feature hands-on STEM activities, robotics demonstrations, goodies, and an opportunity for attendees to take the Girl Powered Pledge

“We’re excited to support the REC Foundation and VEX Robotics by hosting a Girl Powered workshop. We’re looking to add more young women to our programs and engaging them in STEM and robotics with increased confidence,” said Palardy “As a robotics coach/mentor, I recognize the perseverance, teamwork, and problem-solving skills that students gain from participating in competitive robotics programs like VEX Competitions, even over the course of just one season. The Girl Powered initiative will help reach many more young women who might have an interest in robotics and STEM, make them feel welcome, show them they belong, and invite their creativity to take root and thrive.”

How is Girl Powered making an impact? The answer might depend on who you ask. Across the robotics community, Girl Powered has enabled hundreds of new teams, captured personal stories from girls in robotics through an expanded online challenge, and Girl Powered teams have become World Champions at the VEX Robotics World Championship.

Visit girlpowered.com for more information.

About the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation’s mission is to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, affordable, and sustainable robotics engineering programs.  For more information on the REC Foundation, visit www.RoboticsEducation.org.

About VEX Robotics
VEX Robotics is a leading global provider of educational robotics products to schools, universities, and competition teams. Their scalable and affordable solutions span primary and secondary schools while encouraging teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving. With easily customizable projects, educators can match their students' abilities and prepare STEM problem-solvers of tomorrow.

For information on admission to Notre Dame Prep, please click here.

Comments or questions? mkelly@ndpma.org

About Notre Dame Preparatory School
"At Notre Dame Prep, we inspire our students to become the best versions of themselves. We challenge them through an experience of academic excellence, focused on active, project-based learning. We invite them to explore a world of opportunities beyond the classroom. We guide them as they grow in spirituality within a community strong in its Catholic and Marist identity."

Notre Dame Preparatory School is a private, Catholic, independent, coeducational day school located in Oakland County. Notre Dame Preparatory School's upper school enrolls students in grades nine through twelve and has been named one of the nation's best 50 Catholic high schools (Acton Institute) four times since 2005. Notre Dame Prep's middle and lower schools enroll students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight. All three schools are International Baccalaureate "World Schools." NDP is conducted by the Marist Fathers and Brothers and is accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States and the National Association of Independent Schools. For more on Notre Dame Preparatory School, visit the school’s home page at www.ndprep.org.