Jefferson County Public Library seeks entries for third annual Girls-in-STEM competition

Update: March 8, 2018

Congratulations to the 2018 STEM Girls Competition Winners. 

1st place award: Vertical Garden project.
Sasha Bandock and Sophia Eakes

1st place award: Lucky the Robot Project
Kyra Jordan, Ryleigh Lavigne, and Libby Gerard

Winners were honored at the annual International Women’s Day Luncheon, on March 8 at Baldoria on the Water in Lakewood, Colorado.


Jefferson County girls in grades five through eight are invited to exercise their imagination and STEM knowledge in an upcoming Girls-in-STEM competition, cosponsored by Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) and Colorado School of Mines.  Jefferson County girls in grades five through eight are invited to exercise their imagination and STEM knowledge in an upcoming Girls-in-STEM competition, cosponsored by Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) and Colorado School of Mines.  

Competitors are encouraged use science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) to create new solutions to everyday problems. Creations should be an original design related to energy and environment, health and nutrition, or biomedicine. Entries must include a hypothesis and a visual aid of the concept (a video, tri-fold display, poster, model or anything that best conveys the innovation). Participants may work individually or in groups of four or less. 

Projects are due no later than Saturday, Feb. 3, and judging will take place at the Golden Library on Sunday, Feb. 4, from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

Projects will be judged by DECTech students from Colorado School of Mines, and winners will be honored at the annual International Women’s Day Luncheon, on March 8 at Baldoria on the Water in Lakewood, CO.  All contestants will receive a certificate of participation, and projects will remain on display at the Golden Library for one week during normal library hours, beginning Sunday, February 4.

“We’re excited to offer this annual program for young women in Jefferson County,” said Stephanie Douglas, adult services librarian, Golden Library. “Typically, women are underrepresented in the fields of engineering and computing, and this allows us to create an encouraging environment where girls can learn those skills.”

Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) offers frequent STEM and STEAM programming at two locations:

  • The Golden Library offers STEM Girls at 4 p.m. on select Mondays, providing girls an open and nonjudgmental place to play and learn. The events are led by Bell Middle School’s Girls in iSTEM Club.
  • The Belmar Library in Lakewood offers a STEAM Punks program on Thursdays at 4 p.m. This program lets student in grades 3-6 explore creative problem solving and sparks their curiosity with weekly adventures in science, technology, arts, and math

For contest rules, visit Girls in STEM Competition or call 303-235-5275. Contestants may also contact Stephanie Douglas at the Golden Library, 1019 10th Street, Golden, CO.