“But you were such a nerd in high school!” An astonished high school reunion pal blurted that out after telling me I looked great. To protect the guilty I won’t reveal the year…let’s just say a few decades had passed. I looked around the gym and realized this was actually the revenge of the nerds. The football star was in a wheelchair, the cute cheerleader had turned into her elderly mother, and the in-crowd had not been treated kindly by the years. Among this decrepit crew, several folks still looked vital, had that healthy glow, and were busy chatting about their current projects, not their medical regimes. Nerds ruled! We were still energized by our work, most of us running our own businesses, and full of excitement about new ideas.
Rebecca-Stanton-Reinstein, Ph.D. President of Advantage Leadership, Inc.
In high school I was the only girl in my physics and advanced math classes, one of the few girls with an entry in the city science fairs and among even fewer girls who won and went to the state event. It’s not quite as lonely these days but girls are still not encouraged to enter science and technology fields and pop culture idols are seldom nerds.
Those of us who were drawn to the techy life know it’s cool to be geeky. That’s where a new organization, GeekiGirls, comes in. Our goal is to educate girls of all ages about SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATH using ART and having FUN. STEM+ART=STEAM
If you know a student who is interested in this exciting world – even just curious – get her to come to GeekiWood. We have a program chock full of presentations from NASA to Hollywood focused on technology behind the scenes in entertainment and more. Producers, educators, technicians and scientists will blend the magic of film and television with real science. They’ll inspire attendees to explore how technology facilitates the creative process. See the program for September 27 at FIU at: http://www.geekigirl.org/#!geekiwood-2014/c1gqe
Check us out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Geekigirls?ref=hl# or visit the main website: http://www.geekigirl.org/
I’m Rebecca Staton-Reinstein, Ph.D. and president of Advantage Leadership, Inc., and a lifelong geekigirl and proud nerd. I work with technical managers and leaders who want to improve their bottom- and top-line results through strategic planning and leadership, energizing their teams and engaging team members to deliver value to their customers.
Keep GeekiWood FREE with a $100 donation
One of the ways we are trying to make the event free, is to have companies purchase a small $100 sponsorship – we will then give 10 teachers and students free tickets to the event in that companies name. If you or anyone you know would be interested, please, don’t hesitate to contact Rebeca Stanton-Reinstein. rebecca@advantageleadership.com
GeekiWood SPONSORSHIP CHART 073114
