Pearl and RIT Sponsor Program to Interest Girls in STEM

Published: September 22, 2015

SAVANNAH, NY | Pearl Technologies, a manufacturer of parts for converting and extrusion capital equipment, recently partnered with the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) by presenting at a program called Summer Math Applications in Science with Hands-on Experience for Girls, (SMASH), to encourage young women to pursue science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career opportunities.

"This event was one we felt was important not just for Pearl but also for the young women of this region and for our country as a whole," says Linda Gillette, VP of operations at Pearl. “I think we were able to get the point across to these girls that they can succeed and have fun in STEM careers. They are intelligent, capable young women who can pursue any career choice they’re interested in, and STEM careers provide some great opportunities.”

Gillette joined Jennifer Gillette, global marketing coordinator at Pearl and a 2013 alum of the college, in explaining how math and science apply to the plastics industry and manufacturing and showing the girls various punch profiles and slitting angles. A brief discussion included the importance of math when designing equipment for converting or extruding applications. The girls had an opportunity to punch their own hole in a bag with Pearl's Flex 3 Unit.

The program, which took place over a week in July and hosted 43 8th graders, was filmed for the local Time Warner Cable News station. Use this link to view the video.

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