Girl Scouts to Host 'Geek Is Glam' STEM Expo

Print Story | Email Story

WORCESTER, Mass. — Girls in grades four through eight from all over central and western Massachusetts are invited to celebrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics at the second annual Geek Is Glam (GIG) STEM Expo.

The day-long interactive STEM conference for girls is hosted by the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts and WPI with more than 100 area education and adventure collaborators. Girls will be exposed to some of the area’s top scientific and engineering minds as they engage in the hands-on aspect of exploration and discovery while they build, explore, assemble and imagine.

Interactive workshops, demonstrations, hands-on exhibits and educational career panels will be presented by: Cambridge Science Festival-Science on the Street; Brain Explorers with the Association for Women in Science; the Burncoat Robotics Team; iRobot; Mass Academy of Math & Science presenting DNA and Rainbows; Museum of Science Engineering is Elementary; Six Flags New England; WorldWide Telescope; SPHERES satellite with Zero Robotics, EcoTarium; Worcester State University; Lemelson-MIT Program; Zoo New England; Mass Audubon/Broad Meadow Brook; Emagination Computer Camps; Bridgewater State University; Seven Hills Charter School; Robotics Resource Center at WPI; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University; Women in Robotics Engineering Group and Roger Williams Park Zoo, and more.

Among the special guests are Ashley Freiberg, racecar driver and the first woman to ever win a race at Daytona;  Lauren Kuhn, Miss Massachusetts, who was awarded the STEM scholarship at the recent competition; and astronaut Sunita Williams, who is the world record holder for total cumulative spacewalk time.

Registration is required by Oct. 7. For a full list of activities and to register, visit www.gscwm.org/STEMGIG.shtml.

If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.

Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.

BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.

The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.

It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.

Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.  

Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street. 

The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.

View Full Story

More Regional Stories