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Middle Schoolers Stay Afterschool for Rosie’s Girls in Montpelier, Winooski

by elaine ezerins

A group of middle school students pose for a photo, holding their custom weld projects, during Rosie's Girls Afterschool in Montpelier, VT.

By Elaine Ezerins, Communications and Marketing Manager 

This spring, middle school students participated in Rosie’s Girls Afterschool in Montpelier, Winooski, Londonderry, and Swanton, exploring STEM and skilled trades each week through hands-on activities. 

Blacksmith Sabrina Fadial instructed the welding program in Montpelier on Thursdays after school, teaching six students how to safely use a plasma cutter and welding equipment. The students used their creativity to fabricate custom flowers and other metal art pieces. VWW will continue to offer welding exploration this summer through our Rosie’s Girls summer camp in Montpelier the week of July 31 – August 4

A Rosie's Girls Afterschool participant uses a plasma cutter to cut metal while a VWW staff member supervises.

Vermont Works for Women also hosted Rosie’s Girls Afterschool in Winooski. Marla Goldstein, our Youth Program Coordinator, led students in creating a windchime out of copper piping. Students gained exposure to using a copper pipe cutter, a hammer, nails, and an electric drill.  

On Thursday, May 4, a team of women engineers from GlobalFoundries made a guest appearance at Rosie’s Girls, leading a STEM activity for the program. The group of middle schoolers had to solve a problem – how can GlobalFoundries safely and cheaply transport microchips which are fragile, expensive, and time-consuming to engineer? Using Pringle chips as mock microchips, Rosie’s Girls participants “purchased” materials and manufactured “packaging” using craft supplies to protect the chips from breaking.

A team from GlobalFoundries leads a STEM activity at Rosie's Girls Afterschool in Winooski.

Then, they tested their packaging design by launching the package in a truck down a road and dropping it from a great height in a tower. The goal was to design a break-proof package with affordable materials.   

A Rosie's Girls Afterschool participant tests out their design, dropping the package from on top of a ladder through a cardboard fort.

Activities at Rosie’s Girls Afterschool teach participants to think critically, learn hands-on skills, and explore a variety of career options, all while having fun and making new friends.

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