University of Iowa Health Care Marketing and Communications has been recognized for its program aimed at boosting girls’ interests in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education and careers.

The department’s Girls Go STEM program received the Seal of Approval from the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council, a partnership of business, policy, and education leaders from across the state that focuses on bolstering STEM initiatives.

Launched in 2014, Girls Go STEM is an annual event for junior high girls (grades 6–8). The program, held on a Saturday morning on the UI health sciences campus, features hands-on activities, medical simulations, research experiences, and career exploration sessions alongside current UI Carver College of Medicine students as well as UI doctors, researchers, and other health science professionals. Parents are invited to observe their daughters’ participation in the STEM-related activities and also take part in parent-focused programming.

UI Health Care Marketing and Communications staff members deliver the content in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois.

“It is an honor to receive the Seal of Approval and recognition from the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council for our Girls Go STEM program,” says Emily Strattan, coordinator of STEM education with UI Health Care Marketing and Communications. “This goes to show that Girls Go STEM is a truly unique program that has proven successful and made a positive impact on many young Iowa females.”

Girls Go STEM is just the third program to receive the official STEM Seal of Approval this year and the 17th program honored since the award was established three years ago; it is given to programs and events that help prepare students for careers in bioscience (agricultural and health), finance, information technology, manufacturing, and other fields that will create long-term opportunities for Iowa’s young people, enhance Iowa communities, and strengthen the state’s economy.