Miss Maker Fair event expands in second year

High School District 214's WildStang Robotics Team is hosting the second annual Miss Maker Fair Saturday, Nov. 14, at Rolling Meadows High School.

WildStang team members have designed an afternoon of engineering-related, hands-on activities such as basic programming, building circuit boards and creating a miniature airplane for girls ages 9 to 13.

Due to the popularity of the event, this year's class size was increased from 30 to 45 students. All slots were filled in one week. WildStang members also developed new activities this year to ensure that the attendees engage in new experiences.

"We're so glad there has been such a positive response to this event," said Lauren Anfenson, one of the students who is a driving force behind the fair. "It's very exciting for us to pass on our passion for engineering and technology to the next generation of girls."

Miss Maker Fair aims to spark interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs beyond middle school and promote STEM coursework at the high school level.

The WildStang Robotics Team is one example of a STEM-related course. While on WildStang, students design and build a robot to compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Through the Miss Maker Fair workshop, WildStang is also actively seeking to attract more girls to the team. Currently, 16 out of 77 students on the WildStang team are girls. This figure is an increase from previous years, but members feel there is still room for growth.

"I am very excited that our team is hosting Miss Maker Fair," said senior Veronica Boratyn, another student who is spearheading the event. "I believe it is the best way to empower girls and demonstrate through hands-on activities that engineering is completely within their reach."