GEM Club nurtures girls’ passion for learning

Girls from Grade 3 – 9 are getting a behind-the-scenes look at engineering in the University of Alberta’s Girls, Engineering and Mentorship (GEM) Club. Under the mentorship of female U of A students, the girls make new friends and learn about the science behind every day phenomena in a fun, creative environment.

Registration for the all-girls’ GEM Club fall session, running for eight Saturdays from Oct. 1 to Dec. 1 is now open at the GEM Club website.

Launched in 2009 by the Faculty of Engineering, GEM is part of a national network of Girls’ Clubs and is supported by Actua and the Canadian Women’s Foundation. GEM’s goal is to help young women explore and develop an interest in engineering, science and technology, while gaining the confidence to succeed in the classroom and beyond.

Mentorship is a big part of GEM. Female engineers and scientists who drop in as guest speakers with the GEM Club members, sharing their stories of attending university and working in engineering and other science-related professions.