Submitted photo Children enjoy hands-on STEM activities at the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons BIG Event. Saturday’s event will be the first in the Magic City and will be held at the Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons Service Center.

Members of the community are invited to attend the Girls Scouts Dakota Horizons fall kickoff event Believe in Girls being held Saturday at the Girl Scout Service Center of Minot from 9 a.m. to noon. This is the first year the BIG Event will be held in the Magic City.

The BIG Event is a hands-on and minds-on expo for attendees to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) related activities and how they can be applied to different career fields.

“One of the things we’re really focusing on is STEM events,” said Tami Unterseher, Senior Regional Director for Dakota Horizons. “Research is showing that STEM careers are doubling at the rate of other professions, so we will be in Minot sponsoring different STEM events throughout the year.”

The BIG Event will feature interactive sessions, exhibitor booths, fun and many learning opportunities. There, children can learn about wildland fire prevention, explore snap circuit boards, participate in chemistry experiments learn the science needed to administer a shot and more.

“We are partnering with the experts in our community who work with STEM stuff everyday in their careers and we think it’s a great way to expose girls to STEM and thoughts of what they could do as an adult,” Unterseher explained.

Minot State University will have an interactive activity on air rockets while EduTech N.D. will have a coding activity. There will also be some fun activities that involve a yummy treat like showing how to turn cream into ice cream.

Along with the activities, Girl Scouts Dakota Horizons will also be giving away some door prizes, one of which includes a swim lesson package donated by the Minot YMCA along with a Triangle Y Camp registration.

Throughout the event, attendees will work at their own pace through the different activities. The goal is for these STEM experiences to help develop critical thinking skills, increase science literacy and cultivate the next generation of innovators.

While the BIG Event is offered by Girl Scouts, anyone in the community and any child is invited to come by and experience the hands-on STEM activities. Adults and children under the age of six get in for free. There will be a $5 charge for children six-years-old and up to help support bringing more events to Minot. The GSDH Service Center is located at 525 31st Avenue SW. To learn more, visit http://www.gsdakotahorizons.org/.