Last week I had the pleasure of participating in the mentoring program, GLAM (Girls Learning About Manufacturing).  MacKay Sposito has sponsored this event in the Tri-Cities for the past four years. I have been proud to participate as a mentor and panelist each year.  In partnership with Columbia Basin College and TRIDEC, this event hosts 150 freshmen girls from area schools for a full day of hands on learning.  The girls are split into 25 teams each led by a mentor from area businesses and organizations.  The girls are tasked with creating a product based on criteria in their team packet.  Mentors walk the girls through their marketing plan for their product, research and development, distribution, etc. Each team then presents their product and plan to all participants.  The mentors are challenged with generating enthusiasm about learning, encouraging them to pursue higher education in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and promoting teamwork. 

Leaders come in all shapes and sizes – and genders. This past Saturday, October 11th was International Day of the Girl.  You may not have heard about this as it’s a relatively new day of recognition that was established by the United Nations in 2011 to raise awareness about gender inequality around the world. Our own Lisa Schauer is the current chair of H-ROC, a local political action committee that promotes women in leadership positions.  Lisa is a great role model for other women and girls who aspire to be leaders.  She has either been very active or held leadership positions on several local non-profit boards, committees, and organizations.  So many, in fact, that I have lost count -- not to mention she is the first female partner in the 40 year history of MacKay Sposito!  So you may be asking, “How do these relate?”  Well, Lisa and the H-ROC Board discovered one good way to encourage and support more women leaders was to mentor them at a young age.  So, they formed a Girls ROC group earlier this year.   The Girls ROC group is focused on encouraging middle and high school aged girls to take on leadership roles.