100 Triangle middle school students attend STEM Goes Red event in Durham

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- One hundred middle school students from Durham and Wake County Public Schools attended the Go Red For Women Triangle STEM Goes Red event Friday at Durham Technical Community College.

The event was held by the American Heart Association of the Triangle and Eastern North Carolina, and serves to expose middle school girls to careers in science, technology, engineering and math or STEM through hands-on activities and mentor programs.

"The American Heart Association is trying to save lives," said Debra Lowder, Exec. Dir. for the American Heart Association of the Triangle and Eastern N.C. "You know, more women die of heart disease than all cancers combined. And, the Go Red For Women movement is all about making sure women understand that risk and know ways that they can help themselves be healthier."

According to the National Science Foundation, while women fill nearly half of all jobs in the United States, less than 25% of women are in STEM fields. Event organizers and sponsors hope by exposing young girls to STEM fields, they will help close the future gap.

"We think that health care is stronger when there are diverse minds and voices around the table," said Alicia Starr, Veradigm Manager of Community Relations.

"So, by bringing women into STEM careers, we are ensuring that doctors, researchers, innovators, and technology experts are the future of women. And they are going to be thinking about new ideas and things that affect women in their lives. And we can only improve medicine when we have a full pipeline of diverse backgrounds of genders, all coming in and exploring those fields and learning about them and bringing in new ideas."

This is the eighth year for the STEM Goes Red event and the first located at Durham Technical College. Organizers said holding the event on a college campus is another layer of exposure for the students.