We are Expanding Your Horizons at Swarthmore College, an annual conference for local middle school girls aimed at fostering an interest in mathematics, the sciences, engineering, and other fields that are often considered nontraditional for women. At an age where many girls begin to struggle or lose interest in these subjects, our goal is to spark new excitement for continued study through a day filled with hands-on workshops and discussion.

All workshops are led by female role models who not only have a deep knowledge of the topics they teach, but also serve as positive examples of successful women in technical fields. Workshops are an excellent opportunity for girls to work with these distinguished women in small groups, while also getting to know other young women who share their interests. The day also includes a small group discussion, led by trained Swarthmore students, about the role of gender in education and daily life. The conference is put on by a small group of Swarthmore student volunteers.

Our conference is perfect for girls who have already discovered a passion for math or science, but it is also a great opportunity to reach those who may be beginning to lose interest in these typically male-dominated fields. We hope you or the special young women in your life will consider spending a day learning and discovering with us.

2009 Conference

Thank you to all of those who participated and volunteered in our 2009 conference! It was a success. Information about our 2010 conference will be available in January.

Pictures from the 2009 conference are being uploaded to Flickr. Take a look at the album here.

Pictures from the 2006 conference:

More details are available in the archive.