The symposium featured guest speakers, exhibits and robotic and multi-media demonstrations, and attracted more than 300 students from 12 Philadelphia senior and middle schools to learn about opportunities in science and technology. Among the guest speakers was radio/TV technology commentator Mario Armstrong, who demonstrated the link between technology and education by riding through the room handing out t-shirts and other goodies on a Segway Personal Transporter.

“For years, I thought technology was just my computer,” said Senator Washington. “But once I became a state senator and was a member of the communications and technology committee, I learned so much more about what technology really means.”

Washington said the purpose of the symposium was to direct or re-direct the thoughts of the students into pursuing educational and career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math. “It is my hope that out of everyone in this room, 20 percent of you will attend Temple’s engineering and science programs,” she said to the students.

The Senator thanked Temple for their partnership with the symposium. “When we went to Temple and said we wanted to do this program, there was no hesitation from (Assistant Dean of Engineering) Don Heller, who said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Washington said. “Not only did he say, ‘let’s do it,’ he helped to make it better.”