FemSTEAM

FemSTEAM's vision is to move the dial on girls entering post-secondary studies in Science, Technology & Trades, Engineering, Arts and Math

Mission

To capture an Inventory of the Ecosystem including Events, Education & other Activities that foster a culture of engaging Females into STEAM and Skill oriented careers & close gaps where resources are limited.

To create a Roadmap to engage Business to Academia to Stakeholders to Parents to highlight opportunities and career options.
Build Community Awareness of the movement to improve Female representation in STEAM and Skilled Trades.
Enable actionable and experiential opportunities to consider these fields of education such as: Clubs, Co-Op, special projects with SMEs, affiliate associations like Girls that Code, etc.
To improve the future of females to achieve success in education and employment with meaningful, quality & skilled work.

FemSTEAM Founders

Rhonda Barnet

Rhonda Barnet is the President & Chief Operating Officer of AVIT Manufacturing (formerly Steelworks Design), an engineering and custom automation firm in Peterborough, Ontario. An ardent supporter of Canadian Manufacturing and Exporting, Rhonda was appointed the first female Chair in history of the National Board of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (2016-2018). She maintains an active schedule of government and industry engagements, including functions in Germany, Holland, Italy, China, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. Further appointments include the Federal Advanced Manufacturing Strategy Table and Board Member of Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen Canada), one of the 5 Canadian Super Clusters to deliver $950M of federal innovation funds. Rhonda currently serves CME in the role of Past Chair and newly appointed as the Chair of The Workforce of the Future. In 2018 Rhonda launched CME’s “We Can Do It” Campaign, an initiative funded by the federal government to add 100,000 women to the manufacturing workforce over the
next five years. Rhonda is a regular spokeswoman on diversity, women in manufacturing, skills and the
future workforce.

Rhonda believes in the value of mentorship and upholds the philosophy.

“If you can see me, you can be
me”.

Rhonda Barnet

As a long time business person in the area, Dawn Hennessey has enjoyed working with entrepreneurs, associations and the like for the last two decades. Professionally, she has been in the financial services industry for 20 years. Dawn started her early career in Toronto and eventually accepted employment in Peterborough, Ontario to enjoy a well balanced lifestyle. In her personal time she contributes to the community as Vice Chair of Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce, School Council Committee and now a Co-Founder of FemSTEAMPTBO.

Dawn is passionate about supporting education, the business ecosystem and making a positive contribution to the community at large. Dawn grew up in Sarnia, Ontario; attended McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario and is dedicated to life long learning while enjoying family life as a wife and mother. Dawn is an advocate of empowering anyone, especially young women, who want to achieve success and meet their full potential!

Sofie Andreou

Sofie Andreou if the founder of 123DigitalPower, Digital Marketing Services & Training

"We'll train you or do it for you!"

Sofie holds her undergraduate degree in Computer Science and her Masters of Engineering in Information Systems from the University of Toronto.

Started her career as an Engineer at Bell Canada and now runs her own Digital Marketing Agency, her team provides training and full-service digital marketing services to clients across Canada.

She believes in giving back to her community, she was the Chair of the award-winning Bears' Lair Entrepreneurship Competition, Board of Directors for the Women's Business Network of Peterborough, Director of BREI Business Retentions & Expansion International, Currently a Judge of EDCO's Economic Development Council of Ontario Annual Marketing Awards, a founding member of StartUpPeterborough, founder of FemSteamPtbo and current member of the Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

She balances by hiking or kayaking daily, either around her home or globally!

Steering Committee

Trent University

Fleming College

Diatom Consulting

CFDC Peterborough

BDO

Peterborough & Kawartha Economic Development

Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board

Ripple Studios

Workforce Development Board

AVIT Manufacturing

Cambium Environmental

123DigitalPower.com

Siemens

Greater Peterborough Innovation Cluster

Previous Events

Wednesday May 13th, 2026

If you are a student in grades 7 or 8, you are invited to attend JA’s Fem STEAM event on Wednesday May 13. 2026 at Trent University. At the event you will be exposed to a variety of career possibilities within the STEAM sector and will have the opportunity to learn about the education and qualifications necessary to fulfill a chosen career path within this line of work. This event will focus on Environmental, Health, and Forensic Sciences. Our hope is that you leave this event excited about your future and better equipped to meet the challenges of today’s work world!

Date: Wednesday, May 13, 2026

Time: 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

Event Location:

Trent University

1600 West Bank Drive

Peterborough, ON. K9L 0G2

Cost: Thanks to the many wonderful investors we have, this event is offered at NO COST!

How it Works

Get set for an exciting, day where you get the chance to hear and interact with amazing female mentors from your community working within the STEAM industry. The day will start with opening remarks and a female lead panel of mentors in STEAM before students take part in various hands-on labs.

Lunch will be served, and students will be asked to complete a short survey before leaving the event.

Workshop Information:

Environmental: Get ready to roll up your sleeves and become a real scientist! In this hands-on session, students will dissect a fish to discover how its body works on the inside. You’ll also take samples of fish tissue and learn how scientists test for environmental contaminants.

Forensic Sciences: This session will take students on a journey through the interdisciplinary field of Forensic Science. Starting at the crime scene we will collect the evidence. Next stop will be the chemistry and biology labs. The final stop on this journey will be the courthouse.

Mathematics: This activity introduces students to key ideas in probability through hands-on experiments and engaging games that reflect a real university classroom experience. Students begin by making predictions about dice outcomes, then work in small groups to conduct a dice-rolling experiment, comparing their expectations with actual results to explore the difference between theoretical and experimental probability. They then participate in the Monty Hall game, where they test strategies and discover that intuition can often be misleading.

Nursing: In this hands-on session, students will explore the amazing world of the lungs—how they work, what they sound like, and why they matter. You’ll start by tuning in to different lung sounds on the mannequin, then step into the role of a clinician as you use a stethoscope to listen to real lung sounds—yes, even each other’s! It’s interactive, a little bit science, and a lot of fun.

Kinesiology: In this active session, students rotate through stations measuring heart rate responses to exercise, testing balance and proprioception under different conditions, and assessing lower-body power through vertical jumping tasks.

FemSTEAM at Flying Colours/Flexjet on May 21st

About the event:

Junior Achievement’s FemSTEAM program on May 21st at Flying Colours, Peterborough Airport. Where female students focussed on skilled trades in aviation and entrepreneurship.

This inspiring event welcomed 70 Grade 7/8 female students from local schools and will include:

Inspirational mentorship panels featuring female leaders in STEAM
Hands-on learning experiences in skilled trades such as installation, avionics, electrical, design, mechanics, and more
Opportunities for students to explore career pathways and develop essential skills

The goal of this initiative is to empower young women to explore careers in Science, Technology/Trades, Engineering, Arts/Agriculture, and Mathematics (STEAM) through interactive workshops, mentorship, and strong industry partnerships. It’s all about bridging the gender gap and building a more inclusive future in these fields.

Thank You to all out supporters:

FemSTEAM Inspires the Next Generation of Innovators

On April 24, 2025 nearly 100 young women from Grade 7 and 8 classrooms across Northumberland gathered for the region’s first-ever FemSTEAM event, hosted by Junior Achievement and BECN.

In celebration of Earth Week, students engaged in hands-on workshops exploring the exciting worlds of Science, Technology/Trades, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM). The day began with a Q&A panel of inspiring female mentors, followed by a series of interactive sessions that encouraged creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration.

Participants rotated through workshops where they: Created botanical prints, Explored the science of pollination, Designed floral keepsakes, Learned beekeeping basics, Crafted their own beeswax candles

Throughout the day, students were guided and mentored by local female entrepreneurs and STEAM professionals, making the event both educational and empowering.

Workshop Leaders:

Kelsey from Cold Springs Flower Farm

Christine from Journey Through the Arts

Dana from Dancing Bee Equipment

Our generous host and sponsor, OfficeLinx

Financial Supporters:

By promoting mentorship, hands-on learning, and career exposure, FemSTEAM is helping to inspire and empower young women to explore and thrive in fields traditionally underrepresented by females. It’s more than just a day of activities—it’s a movement toward a more inclusive, innovative future.

Flight Through Aviation – April 25, 2024

There were 100 grade 7/8 female students that Tfamiliarizing themselves with potential educational paths, getting a glimpse into the day-to-day of a variety of careers in aviation while learning about and challenging the myths surrounding them.

Students toured Seneca College, School of Aviation, learning about the different areas and careers in the Aviation World. From Flight ops to Maintenance. A special thank you to Seneca School of Aviation for partnering with us!

A special Thank you to our partners and investors:

Seneca School of Aviation

TD Business Bank and TD Branch Banking

Peterborough & District Construction Association

Workforce Development Board

KADEX Aero Supply Ltd.

Flying Colours Corp.

Veritable Wealth

Peterborough & The Kawarthas Economic Development

October 24th, 2023 Summit

This year’s summit was a huge success, attracting 100 grade 7 and 8 students eager to learn from accomplished industry professionals. The attendees had the privilege of hearing from local electricians, carpenters, and other experts who have achieved success in various STEAM sectors.

The students were also able to participate in two hands-on labs, which allowed them to build and familiarize themselves with potential educational paths. They gained valuable insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of these roles, providing them with a great introduction to the working world.

This event aims to inspire young people to pursue their career goals by introducing them to the limitless opportunities available to them. By attending such events, they will be better equipped to meet the challenges of today’s ever-changing working world.