Milwaukee County Parks hosts 'Women and Girls in Science' event to inspire future women in STEM

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Young girls were catching the "science bug" Saturday, Feb. 7, in Milwaukee. 

It happened at the 'Women and Girls in Science,' event at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center.

The event, hosted by Milwaukee County Parks and organized by the Wehr Nature Center staff, gave young girls and boys the chance to do some hands-on activities led by local women leaders working in STEM - science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. 

Organizers hope this event inspires a new generation of young women, who put on a white lab coat for work. 

"As you can see around this area and not really anyone is wearing a lab coat," said Brooke Gilley, park naturalist. "So, we think of someone who kind of looks like Einstein with the weird hair, wearing a lab coat, wearing glasses. So, it gives them an opportunity to see what real scientists look like and see variety of fields represented." 

More than 100 people registered for Saturday's STEM event.