Valley View hosts STEM competition for girls

Middle-school girls from Lackawanna, Wayne and Pike counties tested their STEM skills at the third annual Northeast PA Girls STEM competition in April. Held at Valley View High School, more than 100 students in grades 5-8 competed in a variety of events in four categories: science, computer programming, engineering and math. Activities included constructing mousetrap cars, creating a triangle using computer coding and making a square of Bioplastic. According to an article in Scranton Times-Tribune, the event was organized by Valley View SD STEM coordinator Marisa Barilka, who started the event as a way to give girls a strong foundation in STEM and help them feel more capable in STEM fields.