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AAUW organizes bus trip for middle-school girls to Michigan State 'Girls' Math and Science Day'
Summary
The Eller area branch of the American Association of University Women is organizing a bus trip that will take middle-school girls from the Gaylord area to a Girls' Math and Science Day event at Michigan State University; organizers say demand exceeded a single bus and a second was added.
Mary, speaking for the Eller area branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), told the Gaylord Community Schools board that the group is organizing a bus trip for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade girls to attend the Girls' Math and Science Day at Michigan State University.
The AAUW trip — billed by organizers as the “Future of STEM road trip” — aims to connect middle-school girls with women working in traditional STEM fields such as physics, math, information technology, chemistry and biology. Mary said the trip will include speakers and interactions with college students and STEM professionals during the travel and at the event.
“We have a bus that has a capacity for 51 students. And as of 05:00 tonight, we have 81 students registered,” Mary said, prompting the group to add a second bus. She described the trip as “edutainment,” with stops in Johannesburg, Lewiston and Gaylord on the way down and back.
AAUW representatives told the board the trip builds on a decade of local activities to increase STEM participation by girls, including sponsoring summer STEM camps and supporting students who attended the Junior Women in Engineering program at Michigan Technological University. The branch said it has circulated information and worked with district staff — including Mr. Craycraft and Mr. Somerville — to recruit participants.
Organizers said the focus is on traditional STEM disciplines rather than health careers, though they acknowledged health fields also fall under the STEM umbrella. Details on trip cost, chaperone ratios and exact funding for bus rental were not specified at the meeting.
The AAUW representative invited board members to ask questions and left informational materials for the district.
