RACINE, Wis. — Kimberly Hilton knows as kids gets older, there is sometimes a massive decline in their interest in science. 

What You Need To Know

  • Racine Unified School District and Girls Inc. teamed up for the 9th Annual Girls Empowerment through Math and Science Conference

  • The goal is to keep the interest in STEM fields up for young girls

  • Kimberly Hilton, known as Chemical Kim, was one of the key speakers who brought hands-on experiences for the students

“My interest came when I was very young, but I do find, and even in my own experience, science kind of becomes boing in the middle school age,” Hilton said. 

There’s a reason, she said, on why science gets ‘'boring’' in the classroom, especially for middle school aged girls. 

“I know we have some fantastic middle school teachers, but I do see there’s not as much 'hands-on’ as there could be,” Hilton said. 

That’s why Hilton, known by her stage name “Chemical Kim,” visits schools across the country with her hands-on presentation to teach girls all about the cool things science can involve. 

She visited Racine Unified’s Mitchell Middle School in January. 

“It was just a fun experience,” said Jazlin Moore, a seventh grader. 

Moore and other girls in the Girls Inc. program were also able to do their own experiments, like using baking soda and water on a special paper to make a '‘bloody'’ handprint, and even made fake snow. 

“I thought it was really cool to watch and know that there are fun things to do with science that are not just boring, I guess,” Moore said. 

She’s grateful for people like Hilton, and others in the Girls Inc. group, who focus so much time on making sure girls know they can succeed in those ever important science, technology, engineering and math fields. 

“I was looking into doing science, but this just made the urge stronger,” Moore said. 

And that, Hilton said, is her goal. 

“You don’t necessarily have to be the brightest in class; you can still be a scientist,” Hilton said. "You just have to work hard and love what you’re working on and absolutely you can be that next scientist."

A reminder, she said, that science is for everyone.