Girls explore STEM careers at conference

More than 300 young women attended the 39th annual Tri-Valley Expanding Your Horizons (TVEYH) conference last weekend at Diablo Valley College, San Ramon Campus. See the video.

The goal of the conference is to spark girls' interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a fun environment. This year's theme, "Trailblazing Your Future," encouraged young women to pursue their dreams and take control of their future by being a trailblazer.

Participants, spanning grades 6-9, came from Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, San Ramon and Tracy to attend the daylong event and participate in special group activities along with two 90-minute hands-on workshops in engineering, chemistry, biology, computer science, environmental science, robotics and more. The day also featured a career fair comprised of booths that allowed participants to learn about different career opportunities and engage with professional women role models in STEM-related careers.

The annual conference is coordinated by a core committee of volunteers with the help of more than 100 additional volunteers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Sandia National Laboratories/California and the American Association of University Women.

"I am so grateful and amazed by the level of commitment that our volunteers put forth each year to always pull off a successful event," said Kim Hallock, conference co-chair and an LLNL employee, who has been involved in the planning for TVEYH for the past seven years. "It is a very rewarding experience to be a part of such an amazing organization that introduces young women to the possibilities of careers in STEM."

For more information about the conference, visit the TVEYH website. Individuals interested in volunteering at next year's conference can send an tveyh [at] llnl.gov (email).

More photos from this year's conference will be available soon in the TVEYH photo gallery.