Girl Scouts to Host 'Geek Is Glam' STEM Expo

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.

Pittsfield Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, Hope

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:08AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025

Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives. 

 

"This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday. 

 

The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. 

 

The apartments will be leased out by Hearthway, with ServiceNet as a partner. 

 

Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center. 

 

The First Street location has nine studio apartments that are about 300 square feet and has a large community center. The West Housatonic Street location will have 28 studio units that range between 300 to 350 square feet. All units can be adapted to be ADA accessible. 

 

The West Housatonic location is still under construction with the hope to have it completed by the middle of January, said Chris Wilett, Hearthway development associate.