Free Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day on Jan. 27

Registration is now open for the first 50 girls from Hawai‘i Island in grades 4-8 who sign up for the 8th Annual Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day on Saturday, January 27, 2024 from 8 am to 3 pm at Waiakea High School.

This free program is underwritten by the Zonta Club of Hilo, whose mission is to build a better world for women and girls. Funding support was also provided by the County of Hawai‘i.

“Held annually, the Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day supports girls grades 4-8 to continue STEM curriculum throughout middle school and high school, then pursue college degrees in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math),” said Zonta event chair Deb Lewis.

This annual event was launched in 2012. Instrumental in the program’s success are organizers Dale Olive and Eric Hagiwara, dedicated science educators from Waiakea High School. Each year the day features a different science theme and attendees participate in hands-on science activities.

“This year ‘Flight’ is our theme,” said Olive. “The girls will build two different models of gliders, one from foam plates and one from balsa. After building them, the girls will throw the gliders to see which have the longest distance flight and the longest time in the air,” said Olive. “The girls will also learn how to fly Parrot Mambo drones in teams of two and race down the course and back.”

At Amelia Earhart Girls in Engineering Day, women professionals in STEM fields speak to and encourage middle school students, especially girls, to continue their STEM pathway.

To download the registration form, visit https://zontahilo.org/event/amelia-earhart-girls-in-engineering-day-2024/ or email koolrainhotrocks@gmail.com.

To support Zonta Club of Hilo’s future STEM events and celebrate the legacy of Amelia Earhart, tax deductible donations can be made to the club’s foundation at https://www.zontahilo.org/donate/.