New Westminster, BC - The City of New Westminster is proud to host Innovation Week 2019 featuring a keynote event celebrating women in STEAM on Friday, March 8th at Anvil Centre. This full day conversation will highlight ways to advance women in technical and scientific fields. The modern economy is increasingly being driven by innovation sectors like science, technology, and engineering, and while their demographics are changing, women remain under-represented in many of the key fields which are the new engines for growth and innovation.
This year, New Westminster Innovation Week will celebrate Women in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) with a symposium on Friday, March 8th. This full-day event will feature speakers and panels to explore what's working, examine what’s needed, and how to connect the dots between women and STEAM using arts-based creativity and computational skills.
“Every organization can learn something about the value of continuing to advance women in STEAM based fields, starting with why the ‘A’ is important in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics,” said Lisa Spitale, City of New Westminster Chief Administrative Officer. “Our work at the City of New Westminster with both Innovation Week and events in support of gender equality has highlighted the need for a regional conversation in order to create the lasting systemic change we need. I hope to see representation from government, business, non-profits, and residents.”
Sponsored by Vancity credit union, the Advancing Women in STEAM symposium will facilitate a regional conversation with a wide range of leaders from government, non-profits, academia, and private business. Sessions will be dedicated to themes like: Why Does Industry Need STEAM?, When Barriers Collide, and Holding Space For STEAM.
The event’s closing keynote address will be presented by Aoife Mac Namara, Dean, Faculty of Communication, Art, and Technology at Simon Fraser University. Her deep body of work at the intersection of the creative and technological fields gives her a unique perspective on the opportunities and challenges ahead.
The event will be held at Anvil Centre, 777 Columbia Street, and event information and tickets are available at www.innovatenewwest.ca
The 3rd Annual Innovation Week is from March 2-8, 2019 in New Westminster. It is a week of events, activities, learning opportunities, and more for people of all ages and backgrounds. It helps advance the City’s Strategic Initiatives and programs including the Intelligent City program, the IDEA Centre (Innovation, Discovery, Education, and Advancement), Master Transportation Plan, District Energy Program, Urban Solar Garden, and New Media Gallery by helping activate partnerships and collaborations.
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Media Contact:Jen Arbo, Innovation Week Coordinator
City of New Westminster
604-636-4476