WILBRAHAM – Wilbraham & Monson Academy (WMA) is inviting female students from grades four through nine to attend their, “Exploring STEM for Girls” event. This is the second year WMA has presented this event to their female students to promote more young women entering into STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.

At last years Exploring STEM for Girls event, registration was at capacity within one week. According to Director of Marketing and Communications at WMA Teddy Ryan, 30 young women, ranging in ages from 10 to 15 attended the event. This year, the school anticipates capacity at 40.

“This event was created through a joint effort of the Marketing and Communications Department and the Science Department at WMA,” Ryan explained. “Women are underrepresented in the STEM fields, and we wanted to create an opportunity for girls who may have an interest to try their hand at STEM–related activities while working with experts in those fields.”

Attendees of the STEM for Girls event will have the opportunity to hear from an expert in the STEM fields, Dr. Thanh Vu Erion, associate director for Biologics Intellectual Property at ImmunoGen, Inc, located in Waltham.

Currently, WMA offers a STEM Nine course to grade nine students, as well as a range of math and science courses. Additionally, the school offers a Computer Science strand to students that include Web Design and Scratch, Robotics and an online Python and Mobile Computer Science course. Extracurricular include Robotics, WMA Design Fellows, Science Olympiad and Math Team.

Not only will attendees learn from Erion, they will also work with WMA Science, Technology and Mathematics faculty trying STEM–related activities and tinkering.

Ryan added, “It’s important to share the many opportunities out there for girls and women in fields that, traditionally, lean more male - dominated.”

The Exploring STEM for Girls event will take place on the WMA campus on Sept. 9 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Guests must register online to reserve their space. To learn more or to register, go to www.wma.us/girlsinstem or http://www.wma.us/girlsinstem.