Over 300 girls across five states participated in NiSource Charitable Foundation’s Introduce a Girl to STEAM event.
NiSource Charitable Foundation planned the event in partnership with NiSource and its subsidiary NIPSCO.
NIPSCO turned its Merrillville headquarters into an interactive classroom for the day. Girls in fourth through sixth grades participated in games, scientific demonstrations and team-building exercises focused on STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
“Our goal today was to get these girls energized about STEAM at a very young age and inspire them to someday pursue a rewarding career in science, technology and engineering,” said Melody Birmingham, NiSource Charitable Foundation board member and NiSource executive vice president and group utilities president, in a press release.
Women occupy 26% of STEM positions in the United States, according to U.S. Department of Labor 2024 data.
“With Introduce a Girl to STEAM, we are nurturing the talent needed to innovate and carry our industry forward for generations to come,” Birmingham said. “We want these girls to feel excited at envisioning themselves someday as engineers and leaders in technology.”
The foundation hosted STEAM events simultaneously at NiSource companies in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania. Employees, including engineers, volunteered to mentor and guide the girls through a half-day curriculum. Activities varied from natural gas and electric demonstrations to instructional activities, games and competitions.
DAWN (Developing and Advancing Women at NiSource) employee resource group helped plan the event. NIPSCO partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Indiana to host 80 girls.
“One of the NiSource Charitable Foundation’s primary goals is to make a significant impact on STEM education and workforce development in every community our utility serves,” Vince Parisi, NIPSCO president and chief operating officer, said. “We hope this event will serve as a catalyst for introducing young girls to careers where women are otherwise underrepresented.”
