Hermanas Conference

Hermanas (Sisters): Diseña Tu Futuro (Design Your Future) is designed to introduce young Latina girls to STEM careers and majors in a fun and interactive way.

Guided by the mission of increasing the number of underrepresented Latina females in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), EMCC has partnered with Intel Corporation to plan, design and host a day of learning and fun activities that stimulate that interest in STEM, since 2006.

There are two separate day-long conferences, each specifically hosting middle school students and high school students. Each conference brings approximately 150 students to the Estrella Mountain campus for activities including science experiments and professional and personal development workshops. Students are invited from local community K-12 school districts, such as Tolleson, Avondale and Goodyear.

Many young Latina girls don’t know what opportunities are available in technology, or what it takes to be an engineer, scientist or a technical professional.  They don’t even realize it is an option.  All too often, there is the perception that these professions are not considered “traditional careers” for Latinas - as reflected by the low number of Latinas that major in the technical fields. This is the segment of our increasingly growing population in Arizona that is most at risk of not being prepared to enter the workforce of the future.

In 2012, the Hermanas Conference became a part of the Arizona Sci-Tech Festival.