How many of us know the pH value of a glass of apple juice?
Eleven-year-old Ayla Jack knows the answers.
“Four and under is supposed to be good but zero isn’t good,” she said.
“I got about a two or a three so I think I’m doing good,” she added, referring to a litmus strip she dabbed with drops from a concoction she made from a fruit, juice, honey and pop mixture.
The St. Catharines youngster can credit her new wisdom to the “Women in STEM: Sip, Savour and Science Food Lab” experiential learning workshop held at Niagara College’s NOTL campus on Nov. 28.
Jack, like the other dozen or so kids taking part in the event, was there with her mother.
Across the hall, another workshop for women was being held and was also well-attended.
While the modern movement to increase the presence of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics began in the 1970s, many say female representation in STEM has been underreported throughout history.
Millions of people can tell you who Apple Inc. founder Steve Jobs was, but care to take a guess who Ada Lovelace was?
Lovelace was into computers and technology, too — over 200 years before Jobs.
Her analytical engine — a general-purpose computing machine that paved the way for modern computer programming — is something Jobs could not have succeeded in his world without, many in the field of computer sciences say today.
Jack hopes to be one of those pioneering women one day.
While she hadn’t given much thought before about pursuing a career as a cook, or other areas of the food sciences, it is in her head now.
“It is an option,” she said.
For mom Lianne, the workshop was something she wanted for both herself and her daughter.
“I wanted her to learn about STEM and I am unsure myself,” she said. “It is not too often you think of food as a science.”
“It helps them realize there is other stuff they can go into that is still STEM and it is so fun,” she added.
The evening was hosted by Niagara College’s Food and Beverage Innovation Centre but presented by Stephanie Thompson.
Thompson, an engineer at the St. Catharines General Motors plant, is the CEO and founder of STEM by STEPH, a Niagara-based social enterprise that connects women to STEM experiences and career paths.
“There are not a lot of women in STEM,” she said. “It is a pipeline that we need to keep feeding.”
“We are doing a great job in engaging young kids, and we have to make sure that there is support for them as they enter fields, as they enter academia.”
Proceeds from ticket sales from the event are being donated to YWCA Niagara to help support women in the community.
