Young Women in Bio
An Expanding Partnership Helping Middle School Girls Learn about Science Careers
Written by: Mike McBrierty | Senior Manager, Public Affairs | Biogen Idec
"YWIB". It's fun to say, and it's fun to experience. But what is "YWIB"? It stands for Young Women In Bio and is a program of local Women In Bio chapters as a career exploration series designed to inspire middle school girls to consider a science education and career choices.
Last year, Biogen Idec played host to the first such event in North Carolina, and the RTP site has hosted two sessions annually since then. This month, the program expanded to greater Boston where Biogen Idec in Cambridge hosted the area's first event.
Christine Warrington, chair of the RTP chapter of Women In Bio, commented on the relationship with Biogen Idec saying, "We've been thrilled to see Biogen Idec lead the way in the RTP and greater Boston biotech communities with these events. Thanks to Biogen's initiative in launching successful YWIB events locally, we've seen other life science organizations follow suit."
In both locations, program participants are exposed to the wide variety of jobs Biogen Idec employees perform and how we all touch patients' lives. At RTP's most recent event in October, Site General Manger Machelle Sanders provided a welcome and overview of Biogen Idec and the biotech industry. The girls then divided into two groups each taking turns to tour the RTP 2,000 liter and LSM manufacturing areas and to conduct hands-on experiments that demonstrated concepts involved in product purification.
At the end of their day, a team of Biogen Idec female scientists individually took a small group of girls each back to their work areas for a "mini shadowing" experience where they explained their roles, shared how they became interested in science, displayed and explained a variety of lab equipment and answered questions from the inquisitive young ladies.
The agenda for the Cambridge event, held on December 1st, was based on the RTP model. Nadine Cohen, SVP of Regulatory Affairs, welcomed the girls. After the introductory remarks, Community Lab Director Tracy Callahan and Jennifer Greenberg took the visitors on a site tour, engaged them in a hands-on lab experiment (involving M&Ms!), and visited labs to share information about the crucial assays used in biotechnology.
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Capping the afternoon, the girls were then divided into small groups for the mini-shadowing experience designed to demonstrate a ‘day in the life' of a Biogen Idec employee.
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The employee volunteers in Cambridge and RTP alike were very gratified with their participation. Sarah Womble from the RTP site summed it up, "The YWIB program aligns so well with what we value at Biogen Idec: diversity, opportunity, developing others, caring about our communities, just to name a few. Our volunteers had a blast with these young women, and we were able to see their excitement. I'm not sure who got more out of it: the girls or our employees!"
