05 Oct KC STEM Alliance-sponsored Perry Outreach Program gives KC girls hands-on experience in orthopedics and engineering
Kansas City, Mo. (Sept. 30, 2015)—More than 40 high school girls from around the Kansas City metro will get a firsthand look at how engineering and orthopedic surgery relate during a Perry Outreach Program from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. this Saturday, Oct. 3, at MCC Penn Valley Health Science Institute.
The one-day traveling workshop, brought to the area in partnership with the KC STEM Alliance, introduces girls to opportunities in orthopedics and engineering through six hands-on “mock surgical” exercises and the chance to work with local surgeons from Children’s Mercy Hospital.
The workshop is an outreach of the national Perry Initiative, co-founded by Dr. Jenni Buckley with the goal of encouraging more girls to explore the orthopedic engineering field. Buckley, a mechanical engineer and professor at the University of Delaware, will be on hand to meet and work with the students.
“Offering the chance to drill and saw bone models, suture lacerations and try other hands-on techniques show girls how medicine and engineering relate,” said KC STEM Alliance Executive Director Laura Loyacono. “It illustrates in a very personal way the opportunity for hands-on work in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) field.”
According to the Perry Initiative, women are still underrepresented in certain medical fields as well as in engineering. Engineers and orthopedic surgeons work hand-in-hand to develop safe and effective implants for repairing broken bones, torn ligaments, and worn-out joints.
To build awareness of career opportunities for women, the Perry Initiative runs more than 30 outreach programs nationwide. The KC STEM Alliance has sponsored the program in Kansas City since 2012.
ABOUT KC STEM ALLIANCE
The KC STEM Alliance is a collaborative network of educators, business partners and organizations that inspires interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math careers to generate a robust force of related professionals for the greater Kansas City community. For more information, visit kcstem.org.
