![Girls visit booth during STEM festival](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-12.jpg)
Rice once again played host to the “Reach for the Stars! STEM Festival” April 9, an event held to inspire middle school girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Started by Sally Ride, the late astronaut who was the third woman and first American woman to travel to space, the annual festival has been held on Rice’s campus since 2006. This year, approximately 200 local middle school girls took part in the daylong festival. They attended workshops, panels and exhibitions covering four different STEM-related career tracks: space and astronomy, physical science and math, medicine and bioscience, and engineering and robotics.
The keynote speaker was Nicola Fox, head of the heliophysics division at NASA. The event was sponsored by the Ride Family Foundation, Rice Space Institute and various other donors.
![Students at Reach for the Stars festival sitting outside](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-2.jpg)
![Young girls speaking with science expert at STEM fair](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-10.jpg)
![Attendees pose with astronaut suit](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-28.jpg)
![Photograph of reflection from astronaut helmet](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-32.jpg)
![Festival worker smiles while carrying rocket casing](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-41.jpg)
![Young girls working with mentor at STEM fair](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-62.jpg)
![Young girls in head scarves huddle together at science festival](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-68.jpg)
![Keynote speaker Nicola Fox of NASA](/sites/g/files/bxs2656/files/inline-images/220409_Stock_Fitlow_001-78.jpg)