NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher hosting ‘Femme in STEM’ on Saturday

September 14, 2023

Hannah Patrick,

FORT FISHER, NC (WWAY) — Leading women scientists in the Cape Fear region will highlight the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher (NCAFF) 2023 Femme in STEM on Saturday.

The event is happening Sept. 16 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with exciting hands-on activities and experiments.

According to Gail Lemeic with the aquarium, visitors will have the opportunity to look through microscopes, experience a tornado machine, and even get their hands dirty with some soil samples.

The aquarium said it is important for young girls to see someone like themselves in STEM fields. Research shows that starting around middle school, girls start losing interest in science and other STEM subjects. The Aquarium is showcasing the variety of STEM fields that are open for career paths while facilitating an interactive experience with people working in those fields.

“Femme in STEM has grown in popularity every year and we love that because it means more young women have an opportunity to see themselves in a science, technology, engineering and math career. We are excited about the stellar line up of women we have this year and look forward to a very successful event,” Lemiec said.

The Aquarium’s main goal for Femme in STEM is to spark an interest in the world around us and how we study and learn more about that world.

“We hope that more people and minds pursue STEM fields to help solve complex issues in our environment. We are all about saving species at the Aquarium and the people who are doing that work are in STEM,” said Lemiec

Femme in Stem is also a celebration of women. Many exhibitors commented that it was so nice to see so many women peers and colleagues out for the day. Some even mentioned that they are the only woman in their department, and it was a nice reminder that other women are in STEM and we need more of them.

The event is included with an Aquarium reservation. Tickets for special days like Femme in STEM sell out. Advance tickets are required to visit the Aquarium at NCAFF Admissions.