Perficient teammates recently partnered with MakerGirl as a fun way to share their love of coding and all-things technical with the next generation of STEM professionals.
MakerGirl is dedicated to inspiring young girls to be active in STEM. The organization has hosted more than 300 interactive sessions in 22 states since they began. They are proud to have motivated and educated more than 3,800 girls ranging from ages 7 to 10 as a result of the sessions.
Twenty-two James Ward Elementary students came to our Perficient offices in Chicago for an afternoon of interactive STEM sessions and 3D printing. During the session, Perficient volunteers taught participants about coding and 3D printing in the world around them. In addition to the lesson, students were able to take home a 3D print of their own design.
Making an Impact with MakerGirl
Seventy-eight percent of students at James Ward are low-income and eighty-three percent are on free or reduced lunch programs. Subsequently, most of the students would not otherwise have the opportunity to learn hands-on about 3D printing and coding. Our colleagues had been searching for a way to get involved in the community and were proud they could host the students.
Molly McGreal, technical consultant, and Katherine Lin, senior technical consultant, organized the event. They were assisted by Nancy McNamara, senior technical consultant; Sydney Curcerzan, technical consultant; Erin Turley, technical consultant; Jessica Hickman, office administrator; Laura, associate technical consultant; Shannon Geraci, director; Judah Tice, director; Richard Jung, technical consultant; Jacky Duong, associate technical consultant; and Chris Kaminski, systems engineer. As a result of their passion for learning and technical expertise, students left with a deeper understanding of STEM opportunities, and how technology affects the world around them.
Carrying Out Our Core Values
Teammates felt this event embodied the culture and values of Perficient. They utilized two core values, People and Collaboration, to make the event work. Teammates said it speaks to the office culture that colleagues so enthusiastically donated time to the event. One colleague said she felt lucky to work with such deeply talented, passionate, and dedicated colleagues and above all, she is proud to work for a company that made this event a reality!
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