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Our First Annual Degrees of Success Conference!

DoS 2020 was the first ever conference hosted by Lotus STEMM. It was a remarkable virtual event that provided an immersive experience of fun-packed and intriguing STEMM activities for students and their families. Spanning over five days, this virtual conference educated the audience with the assistance of accomplished women educators and speakers from various STEMM fields.

July 27th - 31st, 2020

Virtual

What can I expect?

What We Did

Day 1: Family and I Code Together, was an engaging session hosted by Scientist/Lecturer Nakhat Fatima, Ph.D., and Structural Analyst/Aerospace Engineer Jovita Pinto, introduced participants and their families to the world of coding using Scratch, a popular and free programming platform.

Day 2: Participants embarked on an exciting journey into space exploration as they constructed a NanoRover using everyday stationery items. Dr. Bhairavi Shankar, Ph.D., Chief Scientist at Indus Space, along with her colleagues, shared their vast knowledge on rovers, space, and space science. The day continued with a captivating talk by Dr. Ananya Tina Banerjee, Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lama School of Public Health, University of Toronto, who enlightened the audience with her expertise and research on diabetes prevention for South Asian communities.

Day 3: The focus of this day revolved around the fascinating world of geology. Kasey from Mining Matters led a hands-on activity called Starburst® Rock Cycle, where participants learned about the formation, breakdown, and reformation of rocks. The Mining Matters team also conducted another interactive activity using Play-doh® and Popsicle® sticks to demonstrate the processes of folding and faulting on Earth. In addition, Sayema Chowdhury from York University shared her valuable insights on Inequities in Science, drawing from her extensive experience as a lifelong educator and advocate for Diverse and Equitable Classrooms.

Day 4: Human genetics took the spotlight on this day. Developmental neurobiologist and CAGIS Mississauga coordinator Urfa Arain conducted an engaging activity called "Be a Researcher," explaining how fruit flies are utilized in human genetics research to study inherited traits. The day concluded with a riveting discussion on career paths led by our very own team members Shefali Chaudhary, Priya Iyer, Dr. Nida Rehmani, and Mariam Raza.

Day 5: The conference ended with a panelist discussion with Arush Nath, Riya Karumanchi, Prieeyya Kaur Kesh, and Prof Kalai Saravanamuttu and our very own Lotus STEMM team. Ended with some closing remarkings and reflections on the virtual conference.

STEM competition

Schedules

Conference Schedule

Day 1

Family and I code Together

Day 2

Build a Nanorover

Day 3

Folding & Faulting/ Stardust Rocks

Day 4

Be a Researcher

Day 5

Career Panel

DoS STEM Competition

Get to Know Us

Conference registrants ages 10-15 had the opportunity to participate in one of three fun challenges by our STEM partners Girls in Science, Mining Matters and Indus Space. Submissions were done virtually through videos uploaded onto the Lotus STEMM website. Participants had the chance to win one of three $50 gift certificates to the The Gorilla Store in Toronto! Participants had the chance to pick from one the following three project to recreate:

Build a bridge using paper and tape
Create a space habitat
Build a conveyor belt

Our Happy Sponsors

Our first "Degrees of Success" conference was a resounding success, thanks to our amazing sponsors: "GirlsInScience," promoting gender equality in STEM, "MiningMatters," advocating responsible mining, and "IndusSpacea," inspiring space research. Their support empowered us to create a brighter, more inclusive future.