SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – In partnership with the Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan (GSSEM), Intellectual Property Owners Educational Foundation and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Brooks Kushman recently held an event for Cadettes of the GSSEM to earn their IP Patch. The event took place at the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) Regional Outreach Center, located at 300 River Place Drive in Detroit.
During the event, Girl Scouts attended workshops led by Brooks Kushman attorneys, where they learned about patents, how to identify and design their own Trademarks and create Copyrighted pieces of work. In addition to the standard IP Patch curriculum, the girls also had a chance to meet and speak with USPTO Examiners and Judges and to take a tour of the facility, which is one of just four Regional Offices in the United States.
Since the inaugural IP Patch workshop last year, the program has grown to an average of 55 attendees per session. This year, the USPTO will host two events for the Girl Scouts of Southeast Michigan.
“We are enthusiastic to see how the program has grown,” said Brooks Kushman Attorney Rachel Smith. “It is especially rewarding to see how each of the programs create awareness and enthusiasm for intellectual property among the various groups. The girls have also shown an eagerness to learn more about the different career opportunities available in IP law and other STEM industries.”
Brooks Kushman co-founded the Michigan IP workshops in an effort to promote STEM education and awareness of STEM career opportunities for women in an industry historically male-centric. Smith notes, “Research shows girls typically start losing interest in math and science during middle school; by providing a fun, dynamic, interactive workshop we increase the likelihood they will stay engaged with STEM learning throughout their academic careers—building a diverse and inclusive industry starts with them.”
Rachel Smith, Erin Bowles, Anna Robinson, Isheeta Patel, Irina Sullivan and Alena Vackova presented and lead hands-on workshops during the event.
About Brooks Kushman P.C.
Brooks Kushman P.C. is a leading intellectual property (IP) and technology law firm with offices across the nation, and represents clients nationally and internationally with respect to protection, enforcement and monetization of IP, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. The firm has more than 90 intellectual property professionals specializing in various technical disciplines, and has a reputation for providing leading IP counseling with a focus on the business objectives of their clients.
Brooks Kushman counts a number of Fortune 100 companies across a variety of industries among its clients. The firm is also recognized by leading legal publications and rankings, including Corporate Counsel magazine, U.S. News & World Report, Law360, Intellectual Asset Management, Managing Intellectual Property, World Trademark Review, and Intellectual Property Today. For more information, please visit www.BrooksKushman.com/.
