This inaugural summit kicks off on October 9-10, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, an epicenter of innovation in health, technology and science. The Magee-Womens Research Summit will shape the national agenda on women’s health and deliver our future vision of women’s health to the world. The centerpiece of the summit will be the award of a $1 million prize for collaborative and transformative research within reproductive sciences.

As part of the Summit, Magee-Womens Research Institute is introducing the Magee-Womens STEM Initiative, a grassroots effort with a global focus which includes a robust partnership with the Pittsburgh Public Schools. This program will engage students to help solve the top women’s health issues their communities are more likely to face while also developing a project learning based, hands-on women’s health curriculum to be taught in the classroom, where the foundation of intellectual curiosity is laid.

The centerpiece of the initiative is a STEM Competition for incoming high school students that will showcase their work at the Magee-Womens Health Summit on Oct. 9-10, 2018 in Pittsburgh.

The students will present hands-on projects to the world’s top research scientists, influential policymakers and renowned public health advocates.

• MWRI researchers will work with public school teachers and students to introduce real-world health issues affecting women in their communities through hands-on labs and instruction.
• With this newfound knowledge, students will create a storyboard outlining what a public service announcement could look like to inform and educate their communities.
• All storyboards will be showcased during the Summit, with the winning storyboard professionally produced and aired during a special STEM ceremony at the Summit on the afternoon of October 9.

The STEM Initiative takes a decidedly holistic approach to connect science and research to real-life wellness challenges. The competition specifically targets students in communities where undiagnosed conditions, lack of access and socio-economic challenges contribute to higher infant and maternal mortality rates, as well as overall population health.

By inspiring the students to recognize and address these challenges, the initiative seeks to encourage them to consider careers in science that could one day impact their own and future generations’ wellness.