Project Minerva offers Grade 9 girls in the region to explore crucial STEM career paths

By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on January 28, 2026.

asmith@medicinehatnews.com

The scientists of tomorrow will spend the day today exploring different career opportunities in science thanks to Praxis Science Outreach’s Project Minerva.

Named after the Roman goddess of wisdom and the arts, Project Minerva allows for Grade 9 girls in southeast Alberta to learn more about career opportunities in fields with a component in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Meeting at Medicine Hat High School, students will then be dispatched to various mentor locations to shadow a woman who has a job in a field that meets the requirements for the morning, before returning for lunch and several science-related workshops. Each year, up to 50 girls participate.

The event aims to dispel in the minds of students “scientist,” “nerd” and “math geek” myths and stereotypes, to show that Science, Technology, Engineering and Math has roles that are just as accessible to women as they are to men and to raise the number of southeast Alberta young women pursuing STEM career paths.

Praxis would like to thank Medicine Hat Public School Division, Prairie Rose Public Schools, CAPE School and the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education for their ongoing support.

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