Wareham Middle School Girls Attend STEM4Girls Event

WAREHAM, Twenty students from Wareham Middle School spent Oct. 17 at UMass Dartmouth for STEM4Girls, an event designed to encourage girls to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics through hands-on activities and presentations, Wareham Public Schools announced.

The day began in the UMass Dartmouth auditorium, where students heard from a NASA employee and two UMass students who discussed their experiences in STEM fields and answered questions. Presenters also highlighted historical women in science, including astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space; physicist and chemist Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize; and former NASA astronaut Mae Jemison, the first African American woman to travel into space.

Students then broke into groups for lab activities centered on the Blue Economy, which focuses on sustainable use of the ocean to support economic growth while protecting marine ecosystems. Activities included designing a prosthetic leg for a dog, creating biodegradable plastic and dissecting a squid to study marine biology.

The event closed with students from an all-girls STEM school sharing their experiences and performing a step routine. Wareham students also had lunch in the UMass dining hall and received STEM4Girls T-shirts.

Art teacher Andrea Ericson, who chaperoned the trip, said in a statement, "The girls had an incredible time and were so enthusiastic about their experience that they asked if they could attend again next year." She added it was an opportunity for students to "connect with inspiring role models and explore the many possibilities available to them in STEAM."

Principal Dr. Sara Russo said in a statement she was "very proud to attend STEM4Girls alongside these students." Superintendent Dr. Amy Hartley-Matteson said the program helps fulfill the district's goal of "helping our students discover the greatest versions of themselves."

Source: Wareham Public Schools announcement, October 21, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.