Over the weekend, members from our staff hosted a one-day, hands-on workshop for young girls from the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Academy. Developed by the Dallas Chapter of the Links Incorporated (an international, not-for-profit corporation with over 15,000 professional women of color throughout the world), the academy was created for girls 7th to 12th grades. The experience provides students with the opportunity to interact with professionals currently in the STEAM fields with access to mentoring, life skills training and more. 

The hospital’s Director of Movement Science Kirsten Tulchin-Francis, Ph.D., and pediatric orthopedic surgeon Amy L. McIntosh, M.D., both recipients of the Women Who STEAM award, led the event and taught over 40 girls. The day included presentations from various female staff regarding topics within pediatric orthopedics and engineering. The students learned about the following:

• Scoliosis and how bracing and surgery are used to treat spinal curves. Each girl learned how to measure scoliosis on X-rays. .
• Various treatments for femur fractures, including intermedullary nailing. They were taught how to use a power drill and worked in pairs to fixate two femur saw bones.
• Biomechanics and how motion capture is used to evaluate patients through demonstrations in the Frisco Movement Science Lab 

The meeting ended with a Q&A panel that covered medical school, how our female staff decided on a career in STEM and what it is like working as a female in male dominated fields.

This event is part of a larger initiative for Scottish Rite Hospital. The STEM-RITE Outreach Program has been developed to inspire young minds and teach them about careers in science, technology, engineering and math. The program targets elementary, middle and high school and university students to provide experiences and learn first-hand from surgeons, engineers, nurses, therapists and other health care professionals. STEM-RITE includes three levels of participation:

• Tours and Demonstrations – Level 1
• Hands-on Experiences – Level 2
• Internships and Fellowships – Level 3 

This weekend’s event with STEAM Academy represents a level 2 outreach program. In conjunction with UT Southwestern Medical Center, Scottish Rite Hospital is excited to offer this program to introduce young girls to the fields of bioengineering, orthopedics and kinesiology through interactive experiences. Directed by Tulchin-Francis and McIntosh, alongside other female health care professionals, the women will share their career paths and teach students about their specialty through hands-on workshops.

“I am proud to be a part of such an influential initiative,” says Tulchin-Francis. “Providing this resource to the next generation of young girls is inspiring. I look forward to working with these students to be a small part in teaching and potentially guiding them into the STEM fields.”