STEM4Girls Day inspires the next generation of STEM leaders

NASA keynote speaker urges SouthCoast students to pursue their STEM goals

UMass Dartmouth's annual STEM4Girls Day, hosted by the Kaput Center for Research and Innovation in STEM Education, brought together more than 160 girls from local school districts for a day of exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).

Throughout the day, girls in grades 3-8 engaged in free, interactive activities to explore STEM and learn about their real-world applications. "The event helps build confidence, spark curiosity, and encourage long-term interest in fields where women have historically been underrepresented," said Kimberly Welty, grant support specialist at the Kaput Center.

The 2026 event featured 16 workshops, with nearly 100 volunteers from several departments and student groups contributing their time and expertise. Girls got the opportunity to explore laboratories and connect with faculty, UMD students, and STEM professionals. Workshops included Ageing Atlantic Sea Scallops, Color Changing in Nanometals, Investigating Biodiversity Outside Your Backdoor, and Biodegradable Plastics. 

"This program is a gateway for them to achieve and learn so many amazing things."

NASA Ambassador and STEM advocate Pat Monteith inspired participants as the keynote speaker, encouraging the girls to explore their interests and envision their futures in STEM.

Kaput Center Director Shakhnoza Kayumova led a panel of undergraduate STEM students Maelen Alexander '28 and Malaika Pollard '27, who answered questions from the girls.

"A takeaway that I hope the girls took from our panel is that they should never feel like they have to be the smartest person in the room to deserve to be there. Meaningful contributions come from the willingness to learn and grow, and I hope their day spent at UMass Dartmouth helped them internalize that," said Alexander, a nursing major.

“I hope the girls learned that there is space for them in STEM. This program is a gateway for them to achieve and learn so many amazing things," said Pollard, who studies civil engineering.

The event has served girls in the Greater New Bedford, Fall River, and Wareham region since 2010, with a particular emphasis on reaching girls from underserved communities. The Kaput Center is able to host STEM4Girls Day as a free event to the SouthCoast community due to funding from the Blue Economy Initiative, CONNECT, the Jacobs Foundation, and the South Coast Community Fund.