Salt Lake City School District High School Students Explore STEM Careers through Human Innovation Day
On a recent day, around 50 high school students from the Salt Lake City School District participated in Human Innovation Day, an event designed to expose them to potential STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) career paths. Hosted by the district, the Salt Lake Education Foundation, and Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s Tech Lake City initiative, the event provided students with a close-up look at the state’s growing life science industry.
The day began with a tour of ARUP laboratories, which offers reference laboratory testing for hospitals and health centers. This was followed by a visit to Recursion’s biotechnology facility at the Gateway. After the tours, students engaged in discussions with professional scientists and university students studying various STEM fields.
The goal of the event was to inspire students by showing them different paths they could take in the world of science. Brian Pantle, a project manager at the department of economic development for Salt Lake City, emphasized the importance of students seeing faces like theirs in the industry. He encouraged them to envision what they could achieve in their future careers.
Mayor Mendenhall expressed her desire to grow the tech industry in Salt Lake City not just for economic reasons but also to provide students with fulfilling career opportunities. She urged students to think creatively and consider pursuing careers in STEM fields. The event targeted freshmen and sophomores to help them plan for their futures and inspire them to explore new ideas that could contribute to the scientific community.
Overall, Human Innovation Day provided these high school students with an excellent opportunity to gain insights into various STEM fields and inspired them to pursue careers that align with their interests and passions.