West Des Moines center focuses on STEM tutoring for girls

A center that teaches and mentors girls in kindergarten through 12th grade in science, technology, engineering and math has opened in West Glen Town Center in West Des Moines.

Meredith Smith has created TigerLily STEM to help encourage girls to consider careers in STEM fields. Smith said that according to the U.S. Commerce Department, women account for 24 percent of STEM jobs. And 14 percent of all engineers are women, the report shows. Smith graduated in 2010 from Iowa State University with a degree in chemical engineering.

She has been tutoring and teaching STEM classes in Des Moines for seven years. TigerLily is a permanent location that offers tutoring in all STEM subjects, advanced placement classes, and creative classes like slime chemistry, candy science and robot coding. Smith also incorporates leadership skill in activities.

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Times of classes vary. The center, 5525 Mills Civic Parkway, Suite 105, also is open from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays for high school students to study.

The center will hold an open house from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Call the center at 515-612-6012 to schedule an appointment, visit www.tigerlilystem.com or find it on Facebook.