Salt Lake City School District hosted a Human Innovation Day event for approximately 50 high school students. The event, organized by the district, the Salt Lake Education Foundation, and Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s Tech Lake City initiative, provided students with a closer look at potential STEM careers. The day began with a tour of ARUP laboratories, which offers reference laboratory testing for hospitals and health centers. Afterward, students visited Recursion’s biotechnology facility at the Gateway.
Following the tours, students engaged in discussions with professional scientists and university students studying various STEM fields. The goal of the event was to inspire students by showing them different paths they could take in the world of science. Brian Pantle, a project manager at the department of economic development for Salt Lake City, emphasized the importance of students seeing faces like theirs in the industry.
Mayor Mendenhall expressed her desire to grow the tech industry in Salt Lake City not just for economic reasons but also to provide students with fulfilling career opportunities. She encouraged students to think creatively and consider pursuing careers in STEM fields. The event targeted freshmen and sophomores to help them plan for their futures and inspire them to explore new ideas that could contribute to the scientific community.
Overall, Human Innovation Day aimed to give high school students an opportunity to learn more about potential STEM careers while inspiring them to pursue their passions and make a positive impact on society through science and technology.