I'd like to know how the first turtle got turned upside down...
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Woman Behind the X-Prize
Kindle readers, for this you will need to visit the YouTube website via computer, but it's an interesting video so I encourage you to do so:
From AeroTV Network:
One of the more unusual phone calls I have ever received occurred a few years ago... from Anousheh Ansari... long distance. About as long distance as it gets, these days, as Anousheh was calling from the International Space Station where she was plainly having the time of her life.
You see, on September 18, 2006, the truly amazing Anousheh Ansari captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer. Anousheh earned a place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space and the first astronaut of Iranian descent.
Anousheh is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, a company that will unleash the power of the Internet to all consumers and dramatically alter and simplify consumer's digital living experience. Prior to founding Prodea Systems, Anousheh served as co-founder, CEO and chairman of Telecom Technologies, Inc. The company successfully merged with Sonus Networks, Inc., in 2000.
To help drive commercialization of the space industry, Anousheh and her family provided title sponsorship for the Ansari X Prize, a $10 million cash award for the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks.
She currently works to enable social entrepreneurs to bring about radical change globally, with organizations such as X Prize, ASHOKA and the PARSA Community Foundation.
FMI: www.xprize.org, www.anoushehansari.com, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews
From AeroTV Network:
One of the more unusual phone calls I have ever received occurred a few years ago... from Anousheh Ansari... long distance. About as long distance as it gets, these days, as Anousheh was calling from the International Space Station where she was plainly having the time of her life.
You see, on September 18, 2006, the truly amazing Anousheh Ansari captured headlines around the world as the first female private space explorer. Anousheh earned a place in history as the fourth private explorer to visit space and the first astronaut of Iranian descent.
Anousheh is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder and chairman of Prodea Systems, a company that will unleash the power of the Internet to all consumers and dramatically alter and simplify consumer's digital living experience. Prior to founding Prodea Systems, Anousheh served as co-founder, CEO and chairman of Telecom Technologies, Inc. The company successfully merged with Sonus Networks, Inc., in 2000.
To help drive commercialization of the space industry, Anousheh and her family provided title sponsorship for the Ansari X Prize, a $10 million cash award for the first non-governmental organization to launch a reusable manned spacecraft into space twice within two weeks.
She currently works to enable social entrepreneurs to bring about radical change globally, with organizations such as X Prize, ASHOKA and the PARSA Community Foundation.
FMI: www.xprize.org, www.anoushehansari.com, www.aero-tv.net, www.youtube.com/aerotvnetwork, http://twitter.com/AeroNews
Friday, June 11, 2010
I Want Your Job: Marine biologist
From the Independent (a UK Newspaper): I Want Your Job: Marine biologist
Dr Viki Wearmouth, 31, is a post-doctoral researcher working with the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth
Interviewed by Caitlin Davies
Viki says: 'When the nets come on to the boats, it's really exciting. For me, it's like Christmas.'
Marine Biology Programs
SEACAMP offers hands-on summer& school year programs in San Diego
www.seacamp.com
What do you actually do?
I tag and track animals at sea, mainly sharks and rays, in order to understand their behaviour and look at their movement patterns. This research can then be used to assess the effects of fisheries exploitation on marine populations as well as the effects of future climate change. Sharks and rays are especially susceptible to over-exploitation.
Describe your typical day
If I'm in the office, it's a 9am-to-5.30pm sort of day, but if I'm off to sea then I have to be in the office by 7.30am. First, I get the measuring and tagging equipment ready as well as my wet gear, and then we're taken to the Marine Biological Association (MBA) research vessel, which leaves Plymouth dock at 8am.
It takes an hour to get to the fishing site, and the boat crew do a 40-minute trawl, putting a big net into the sea and pulling it along the sea bed. Then they pull the net on deck and our work begins. We sort out the different species and measure them. We put the sharks and rays aside in seawater tanks on the boat and tag them using an electronic data logger. Then we release the fish back into the sea. By this time, the crew has put the net down for the second time and we start again. After two or three tows we're generally back at the office by 2pm. I catch up with admin, and, if I can, start analysing the tracks of the fish we've tagged. I leave at 5.30pm, and the last thing I do is check that the fish in the labs are OK for the night.
Do you like your job?
I love it. When the nets come on to the boats, it's really exciting. For me, it's like Christmas, there are all these presents and you don't know what's inside them and what new species you might find. I've always liked the sea, ever since family holidays in Cornwall. I did a biology degree at Bristol University and the marine aspect interested me. I went on to do an MSc in marine and fisheries science at the University of Aberdeen. I wrote my PhD on sexual segregation in the small-spotted catshark. The best part of the job is the fieldwork. I love going out and catching new things and talking to local fishermen. The MBA is a small institution, but everyone is friendly. I like having students on board the vessel as it's nice to pass on what I know to them.
What's the hardest part?
There's quite a bit of public speaking. I attend conferences and have to address audiences of hundreds of people, and that can be daunting.
What skills do you need?
It's very practical work, and you have to think on your feet and to make decisions. You do report back, but you also need to work on your own, and there's no one to hold your hand. Being a researcher is a competitive route. You're generally on a three-year contact, so every few years you have to justify your existence and to get more funding. That means that you need to keep producing.
What would be your advice to people who want this career?
Volunteer. When I was at university, I volunteered to work at a turtle research centre in Greece, so approach an establishment like the MBA and get experience. Find out if it's something you want to do. It's a long process and you really have to know what the job is about.
What's your salary?
Post-docs start on £25,000. Researchers often become university lecturers, but right now I'm enjoying the research.
To find out more, visit www.mba.ac.uk
Dr Viki Wearmouth, 31, is a post-doctoral researcher working with the Marine Biological Association in Plymouth
Interviewed by Caitlin Davies
Viki says: 'When the nets come on to the boats, it's really exciting. For me, it's like Christmas.'
Marine Biology Programs
SEACAMP offers hands-on summer& school year programs in San Diego
www.seacamp.com
What do you actually do?
I tag and track animals at sea, mainly sharks and rays, in order to understand their behaviour and look at their movement patterns. This research can then be used to assess the effects of fisheries exploitation on marine populations as well as the effects of future climate change. Sharks and rays are especially susceptible to over-exploitation.
Describe your typical day
If I'm in the office, it's a 9am-to-5.30pm sort of day, but if I'm off to sea then I have to be in the office by 7.30am. First, I get the measuring and tagging equipment ready as well as my wet gear, and then we're taken to the Marine Biological Association (MBA) research vessel, which leaves Plymouth dock at 8am.
It takes an hour to get to the fishing site, and the boat crew do a 40-minute trawl, putting a big net into the sea and pulling it along the sea bed. Then they pull the net on deck and our work begins. We sort out the different species and measure them. We put the sharks and rays aside in seawater tanks on the boat and tag them using an electronic data logger. Then we release the fish back into the sea. By this time, the crew has put the net down for the second time and we start again. After two or three tows we're generally back at the office by 2pm. I catch up with admin, and, if I can, start analysing the tracks of the fish we've tagged. I leave at 5.30pm, and the last thing I do is check that the fish in the labs are OK for the night.
Do you like your job?
I love it. When the nets come on to the boats, it's really exciting. For me, it's like Christmas, there are all these presents and you don't know what's inside them and what new species you might find. I've always liked the sea, ever since family holidays in Cornwall. I did a biology degree at Bristol University and the marine aspect interested me. I went on to do an MSc in marine and fisheries science at the University of Aberdeen. I wrote my PhD on sexual segregation in the small-spotted catshark. The best part of the job is the fieldwork. I love going out and catching new things and talking to local fishermen. The MBA is a small institution, but everyone is friendly. I like having students on board the vessel as it's nice to pass on what I know to them.
What's the hardest part?
There's quite a bit of public speaking. I attend conferences and have to address audiences of hundreds of people, and that can be daunting.
What skills do you need?
It's very practical work, and you have to think on your feet and to make decisions. You do report back, but you also need to work on your own, and there's no one to hold your hand. Being a researcher is a competitive route. You're generally on a three-year contact, so every few years you have to justify your existence and to get more funding. That means that you need to keep producing.
What would be your advice to people who want this career?
Volunteer. When I was at university, I volunteered to work at a turtle research centre in Greece, so approach an establishment like the MBA and get experience. Find out if it's something you want to do. It's a long process and you really have to know what the job is about.
What's your salary?
Post-docs start on £25,000. Researchers often become university lecturers, but right now I'm enjoying the research.
To find out more, visit www.mba.ac.uk
Monday, May 24, 2010
Building homes is women's domain
From the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco, CA: Building homes is women's domain
The Women Empowerment Build ended today (Monday) but it's an interesting read:
It was a sight rarely seen at a construction site – women outnumbered men Saturday as they laid bricks and raised wooden frames on homes that will eventually house low-income families in Pacoima.
And today, the proportion will likely skew even more toward the fairer sex as the female cast of TV shows such as The Bold and the Beautiful and Days of Our Lives work alongside volunteers on the Habitat for Humanity's first Women Empowerment Build.
The celebrities will be joined by female leaders in the science, engineering and technology industries, such as Julie Zingerman, a rocket scientist, and Patti Wagner, vice president of information technology at Southern California Gas Company. James Kelly, a male astronaut who flew on Discovery and worked under a female captain, will also work on building six duplexes.
"For the girls, it's critical for them to see women of all different backgrounds and all different trades here and working together," said Donna Deutchman, CEO of Habitat for Humanity in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. "It's critical for the mentors to work side by side with them to experience and discuss the idea of empowerment and the idea of community change and a woman's role in determining the future of the world."
The six homes are the first of 24 being constructed as part of the last phase of the development at 12600 Carl St. The 1.6-acre site already has 37 homes completed and occupied. Fourteen homes are scheduled
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to be completed by Christmas and another 10 should be finished by next July.
The build is also helping women get hands-on experience in home repair and construction, several volunteers said.
"We're kind of entering into a field where women aren't typically expected to be found, so it's very refreshing," said volunteer Margaret Ku, 22, of Diamond Bar, who added that she had learned to properly use a hammer. "With the proper training, you can do anything."
The training comes at a time when 20 percent of recent home buyers were single females and 10 percent were single males, according to the National Association of Realtors. Between 1980 and 2000, the number of households headed by unmarried women increased by almost 10 million.
"I think that every woman should be able to wield a hammer and use power tools," said Lauren Callahan, 19, of Topanga, who was working on framing a house. "Women don't really get to use power tools or really be involved in the construction aspect ... so it's really great that we get to do some of the things that normally guys would take over."
A community vegetable garden was also in the works. Once completed, it will grow peppers, tomatoes, a pumpkin patch that will bear watermelons in the summer, and a few barbecue pits.
The garden is funded by a grant from Home Depot and landscaping services were donated by ValleyCrest Landscape Companies. The businesses also sent crews made up mostly of women.
They were deployed to various tasks: Some worked on the garden, while others built gates, framed houses, fashioned bricks or installed irrigation for trees.
"A lot of the times, a lot of people think `Oh, women aren't strong enough to lift heavy things or don't have the willpower to come out here and actually be in construction,"' said Bridgett Mills, 21, of Woodland Hills. "That's why a lot of women come out. I think they want to prove that they have the power to get into the actual building. They want to know that they have that skill."
The Women Empowerment Build lasts through Monday, but the group is always seeking volunteers.
The Women Empowerment Build ended today (Monday) but it's an interesting read:
It was a sight rarely seen at a construction site – women outnumbered men Saturday as they laid bricks and raised wooden frames on homes that will eventually house low-income families in Pacoima.
And today, the proportion will likely skew even more toward the fairer sex as the female cast of TV shows such as The Bold and the Beautiful and Days of Our Lives work alongside volunteers on the Habitat for Humanity's first Women Empowerment Build.
The celebrities will be joined by female leaders in the science, engineering and technology industries, such as Julie Zingerman, a rocket scientist, and Patti Wagner, vice president of information technology at Southern California Gas Company. James Kelly, a male astronaut who flew on Discovery and worked under a female captain, will also work on building six duplexes.
"For the girls, it's critical for them to see women of all different backgrounds and all different trades here and working together," said Donna Deutchman, CEO of Habitat for Humanity in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys. "It's critical for the mentors to work side by side with them to experience and discuss the idea of empowerment and the idea of community change and a woman's role in determining the future of the world."
The six homes are the first of 24 being constructed as part of the last phase of the development at 12600 Carl St. The 1.6-acre site already has 37 homes completed and occupied. Fourteen homes are scheduled
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advertisement
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to be completed by Christmas and another 10 should be finished by next July.
The build is also helping women get hands-on experience in home repair and construction, several volunteers said.
"We're kind of entering into a field where women aren't typically expected to be found, so it's very refreshing," said volunteer Margaret Ku, 22, of Diamond Bar, who added that she had learned to properly use a hammer. "With the proper training, you can do anything."
The training comes at a time when 20 percent of recent home buyers were single females and 10 percent were single males, according to the National Association of Realtors. Between 1980 and 2000, the number of households headed by unmarried women increased by almost 10 million.
"I think that every woman should be able to wield a hammer and use power tools," said Lauren Callahan, 19, of Topanga, who was working on framing a house. "Women don't really get to use power tools or really be involved in the construction aspect ... so it's really great that we get to do some of the things that normally guys would take over."
A community vegetable garden was also in the works. Once completed, it will grow peppers, tomatoes, a pumpkin patch that will bear watermelons in the summer, and a few barbecue pits.
The garden is funded by a grant from Home Depot and landscaping services were donated by ValleyCrest Landscape Companies. The businesses also sent crews made up mostly of women.
They were deployed to various tasks: Some worked on the garden, while others built gates, framed houses, fashioned bricks or installed irrigation for trees.
"A lot of the times, a lot of people think `Oh, women aren't strong enough to lift heavy things or don't have the willpower to come out here and actually be in construction,"' said Bridgett Mills, 21, of Woodland Hills. "That's why a lot of women come out. I think they want to prove that they have the power to get into the actual building. They want to know that they have that skill."
The Women Empowerment Build lasts through Monday, but the group is always seeking volunteers.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Rain
At age 50, I experienced something that I've never experienced before. I actually stood at the demarkation line of rain. On one side, it was cloudy - high cloud, but no rain at all. On the other side, it was coming down....not quite in torrents, but pretty hard.
Oh, I'd driven from where it was raining into where it wasn't raining, but never have I actually stood there. Indeed, it was cooler than that, because I actually saw the rain coming at me. I could see the ground getting wet, hear the tap tap tap of the rain landing on the sidewalks, and see it coming towards me...until it stopped.
Totally cool!
From Wikipedia
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to other kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface. On Earth, it is the condensation of atmospheric water vapor into drops of water heavy enough to fall, often making it to the surface. Two processes, possibly acting together, can lead to air becoming saturated leading to rainfall: cooling the air or adding water vapour to the air. Virga is precipitation that begins falling to the earth but evaporates before reaching the surface; it is one of the ways air can become saturated. Precipitation forms via collision with other rain drops or ice crystals within a cloud. Rain drops range in size from oblate, pancake-like shapes for larger drops, to small spheres for smaller drops.
Moisture moving along three-dimensional zones of temperature and moisture contrasts known as weather fronts is the major method of rain production. If enough moisture and upward motion is present, precipitation falls from convective clouds (those with strong upward vertical motion) such as cumulonimbus (thunderstorms) which can organize into narrow rainbands. In mountainous areas, heavy precipitation is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation which forces moist air to condense and fall out as rainfall along the sides of mountains. On the leeward side of mountains, desert climates can exist due to the dry air caused by downslope flow which causes heating and drying of the air mass. The movement of the monsoon trough, or intertropical convergence zone, brings rainy seasons to savannah climes. Rain is the primary source of fresh water for most areas of the world, providing suitable conditions for diverse ecosystems, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation. Rainfall is measured through the use of rain gauges. Rainfall amounts are estimated actively by weather radar and passively by weather satellites.
The urban heat island effect leads to increased rainfall, both in amounts and intensity, downwind of cities. Global warming is also causing changes in the precipitation pattern globally, including wetter conditions across eastern North America and drier conditions in the tropics. Precipitation is a major component of the water cycle, and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the planet. The globally-averaged annual precipitation is 990 millimetres (39 in). Climate classification systems such as the Köppen climate classification system use average annual rainfall to help differentiate between differing climate regimes. Australia is the Earth's driest continent. Rain is also known or suspected on other worlds, composed of methane, iron, neon, and sulfuric acid rather than water.
Oh, I'd driven from where it was raining into where it wasn't raining, but never have I actually stood there. Indeed, it was cooler than that, because I actually saw the rain coming at me. I could see the ground getting wet, hear the tap tap tap of the rain landing on the sidewalks, and see it coming towards me...until it stopped.
Totally cool!
From Wikipedia
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to other kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface. On Earth, it is the condensation of atmospheric water vapor into drops of water heavy enough to fall, often making it to the surface. Two processes, possibly acting together, can lead to air becoming saturated leading to rainfall: cooling the air or adding water vapour to the air. Virga is precipitation that begins falling to the earth but evaporates before reaching the surface; it is one of the ways air can become saturated. Precipitation forms via collision with other rain drops or ice crystals within a cloud. Rain drops range in size from oblate, pancake-like shapes for larger drops, to small spheres for smaller drops.
Moisture moving along three-dimensional zones of temperature and moisture contrasts known as weather fronts is the major method of rain production. If enough moisture and upward motion is present, precipitation falls from convective clouds (those with strong upward vertical motion) such as cumulonimbus (thunderstorms) which can organize into narrow rainbands. In mountainous areas, heavy precipitation is possible where upslope flow is maximized within windward sides of the terrain at elevation which forces moist air to condense and fall out as rainfall along the sides of mountains. On the leeward side of mountains, desert climates can exist due to the dry air caused by downslope flow which causes heating and drying of the air mass. The movement of the monsoon trough, or intertropical convergence zone, brings rainy seasons to savannah climes. Rain is the primary source of fresh water for most areas of the world, providing suitable conditions for diverse ecosystems, as well as water for hydroelectric power plants and crop irrigation. Rainfall is measured through the use of rain gauges. Rainfall amounts are estimated actively by weather radar and passively by weather satellites.
The urban heat island effect leads to increased rainfall, both in amounts and intensity, downwind of cities. Global warming is also causing changes in the precipitation pattern globally, including wetter conditions across eastern North America and drier conditions in the tropics. Precipitation is a major component of the water cycle, and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the planet. The globally-averaged annual precipitation is 990 millimetres (39 in). Climate classification systems such as the Köppen climate classification system use average annual rainfall to help differentiate between differing climate regimes. Australia is the Earth's driest continent. Rain is also known or suspected on other worlds, composed of methane, iron, neon, and sulfuric acid rather than water.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Speaker shows that girls can be scientists, too
From Florida Times-Union, Jacksonville
Speaker shows that girls can be scientists, too
By NANCY WHITE
Girl Scouts gathered recently at the Museum of Science and History for the "She's a Scientist?!" featuring environmental engineer Becky Heilman. The program was created by Cari Holland, Girl Leadership Program specialist as part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math series, which encourages girls to pursue careers in these fields.
"The Girl Scouts who attend the sessions of this program series gain such valuable insider knowledge, that you only hold if you've had the experience or you talk to someone who has - and women like Heilman have been there, done it and are willing to share the know-how with girls," Holland said.
The girls heard Heilman's story and learned how her love for science and math led her to a degree in engineering, and how her interest in the outdoors steered her to the environmental side.
"I'd like to think that environmental engineering is an easy profession to relate to, especially in Jacksonville, where our health and quality of life has improved due to improvements in environmental engineering and in air pollution control.
"I would absolutely recommend working with the Girl Scouts to my colleagues. We are all Girl Scouts, students, daughters and mothers. It was a great experience to help complete the circle necessary to nurture strong women," Heilman added.
Speaker shows that girls can be scientists, too
By NANCY WHITE
Girl Scouts gathered recently at the Museum of Science and History for the "She's a Scientist?!" featuring environmental engineer Becky Heilman. The program was created by Cari Holland, Girl Leadership Program specialist as part of the Science, Technology, Engineering, Math series, which encourages girls to pursue careers in these fields.
"The Girl Scouts who attend the sessions of this program series gain such valuable insider knowledge, that you only hold if you've had the experience or you talk to someone who has - and women like Heilman have been there, done it and are willing to share the know-how with girls," Holland said.
The girls heard Heilman's story and learned how her love for science and math led her to a degree in engineering, and how her interest in the outdoors steered her to the environmental side.
"I'd like to think that environmental engineering is an easy profession to relate to, especially in Jacksonville, where our health and quality of life has improved due to improvements in environmental engineering and in air pollution control.
"I would absolutely recommend working with the Girl Scouts to my colleagues. We are all Girl Scouts, students, daughters and mothers. It was a great experience to help complete the circle necessary to nurture strong women," Heilman added.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Opinion piece: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math AND Girls
Science, Technology, Engineering, Math AND Girls
By Dawn M. Whalen
Imagine –
A five-year-old programming a robot to move, turn and play music;
A seven-year-old building a simple machine with levers and gears;
A ten-year-old using a digital microscope to examine hair and fibers;
A middle schooler writing commands so sensors react correctly to power motors, lights, and sounds.
Did you imagine boys? NOW imagine these children in pigtails, a dress and a tiara.
Assuming that all girls wear dresses and like tiaras may be stereotyping, but how they may like to dress has nothing to do with what they like to do! Opportunity and encouragement to program robots and experiment with microscopes will give girls confidence to pursue STEM-related fields.
Women have always been interested in science (and science-related fields). In the past, however, women fell into a class of scientists hitting the proverbial glass ceiling. As recent as the 1980’s, built-in discriminations were apparent; you were either a Research Associate (most likely a woman) or in the Graduate Studies Program (all men) carrying you up the ladder to Senior Scientist.1 According to the National Science Foundation, 11 percent of engineers and 26 percent of mathematical and computer scientists in 2007 were female. Women of color make up only 2 percent of female STEM professionals.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science (http://www.dmns.org/) deliberately considered careers girls may be interested in when creating their Space Work exhibit.
Focusing on ‘what you like to do’, the interactive exhibit takes your interests - I'm interested in airplanes and dream of being a pilot – and associates that interest to a number of careers, more specifically careers with NASA.
A girl’s interest in airplanes and flying doesn’t have to lead her to the more common career as a flight attendant; it could lead her to a career as an astronaut, spacecraft engineer, astronaut trainer, or research pilot.
Frances Kruger, Senior Exhibit Developer at the museum states, “Taking your love of something and finding a way to turn it into a career was the direct intent of this exhibit.”
Using the Internet, visit NASA’s (NASA - Careers) Digital Learning Network where students can talk to a NASA employee.
With video-conferencing and live events featuring NASA experts students learn about our home planet, the universe beyond and careers as a scientist or engineer…without the trip to Houston!
Offering “girls only” opportunities to explore and identify with these fields are popular. So, go where the girls are. Girl Scout Camps are a great opportunity to offer this much-needed exposure. After school programs with a “girl power” focus will get girls excited about these topics.
The Association for Computing Machinery, ACM (http://www.acm.org/), understands the need for women in STEM fields and provides a repository that describes over 250 projects for girls funded by the National Science Foundation click here for full PDF document. For example, the Sisters in Sports Science project helps middle school girls embrace math and science principles through sports (using five team sports and five individual sports). Sports naturally reinforce how to overcome obstacles, develop trust, rapport, tolerance, patience and persistence…life skills that are beneficial to everyone, but reinforced in a venue that girls are not always encouraged to choose.
Schools can use science (or any STEM subject) as an opportunity to attract prospective students to their school. Collette Howell, COMPUTER EXPLORERS Franchisee, Sacramento, CA, partnered with a Catholic high school to offer summer engineering classes to middle school girls. The girls, who had expressed interest in science and engineering, visited their potential high school and participated in the engineering class. “A tremendous opportunity exists to encourage those interests,” states Howell, “Parents and students should Google ‘high schools’ and ‘robotics teams’ to find schools that offer a robotics team, a sign that STEM is important at that school.”
Scholarships are available to start a STEM career in college. The University of Akron’s Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program – STEM Initiative supports undergraduate students pursuing degrees in STEM related fields.
Giving girls opportunities to experience STEM related subjects in a comfortable setting will allow them to ‘let their hair down’ (literally) to engage in these exciting endeavors!
1 Women in Science: then and now Gornick, Vivian, 2009.
Dawn Whalen is the Owner and Technology/Education Director for COMPUTER EXPLORERS, a technology education company, in the greater Hartford area.
www.computerexplorers.com/hartford
Follow us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/computer.explorers
Follow my blog: http://computerexplorershartfordct.blogspot.com
COMPUTER EXPLORERS helps children excel and adults stay connected through their interactive technology education programs which are customized to meet the needs of both students and educators. We offer in-school curriculum technology integration programs, fun, hands-on, minds-on after school programs, summer vacation camps, preschool technology programs as well as adult and staff professional development programs.
By Dawn M. Whalen
Imagine –
A five-year-old programming a robot to move, turn and play music;
A seven-year-old building a simple machine with levers and gears;
A ten-year-old using a digital microscope to examine hair and fibers;
A middle schooler writing commands so sensors react correctly to power motors, lights, and sounds.
Did you imagine boys? NOW imagine these children in pigtails, a dress and a tiara.
Assuming that all girls wear dresses and like tiaras may be stereotyping, but how they may like to dress has nothing to do with what they like to do! Opportunity and encouragement to program robots and experiment with microscopes will give girls confidence to pursue STEM-related fields.
Women have always been interested in science (and science-related fields). In the past, however, women fell into a class of scientists hitting the proverbial glass ceiling. As recent as the 1980’s, built-in discriminations were apparent; you were either a Research Associate (most likely a woman) or in the Graduate Studies Program (all men) carrying you up the ladder to Senior Scientist.1 According to the National Science Foundation, 11 percent of engineers and 26 percent of mathematical and computer scientists in 2007 were female. Women of color make up only 2 percent of female STEM professionals.
The Denver Museum of Nature & Science (http://www.dmns.org/) deliberately considered careers girls may be interested in when creating their Space Work exhibit.
Focusing on ‘what you like to do’, the interactive exhibit takes your interests - I'm interested in airplanes and dream of being a pilot – and associates that interest to a number of careers, more specifically careers with NASA.
A girl’s interest in airplanes and flying doesn’t have to lead her to the more common career as a flight attendant; it could lead her to a career as an astronaut, spacecraft engineer, astronaut trainer, or research pilot.
Frances Kruger, Senior Exhibit Developer at the museum states, “Taking your love of something and finding a way to turn it into a career was the direct intent of this exhibit.”
Using the Internet, visit NASA’s (NASA - Careers) Digital Learning Network where students can talk to a NASA employee.
With video-conferencing and live events featuring NASA experts students learn about our home planet, the universe beyond and careers as a scientist or engineer…without the trip to Houston!
Offering “girls only” opportunities to explore and identify with these fields are popular. So, go where the girls are. Girl Scout Camps are a great opportunity to offer this much-needed exposure. After school programs with a “girl power” focus will get girls excited about these topics.
The Association for Computing Machinery, ACM (http://www.acm.org/), understands the need for women in STEM fields and provides a repository that describes over 250 projects for girls funded by the National Science Foundation click here for full PDF document. For example, the Sisters in Sports Science project helps middle school girls embrace math and science principles through sports (using five team sports and five individual sports). Sports naturally reinforce how to overcome obstacles, develop trust, rapport, tolerance, patience and persistence…life skills that are beneficial to everyone, but reinforced in a venue that girls are not always encouraged to choose.
Schools can use science (or any STEM subject) as an opportunity to attract prospective students to their school. Collette Howell, COMPUTER EXPLORERS Franchisee, Sacramento, CA, partnered with a Catholic high school to offer summer engineering classes to middle school girls. The girls, who had expressed interest in science and engineering, visited their potential high school and participated in the engineering class. “A tremendous opportunity exists to encourage those interests,” states Howell, “Parents and students should Google ‘high schools’ and ‘robotics teams’ to find schools that offer a robotics team, a sign that STEM is important at that school.”
Scholarships are available to start a STEM career in college. The University of Akron’s Choose Ohio First Scholarship Program – STEM Initiative supports undergraduate students pursuing degrees in STEM related fields.
Giving girls opportunities to experience STEM related subjects in a comfortable setting will allow them to ‘let their hair down’ (literally) to engage in these exciting endeavors!
1 Women in Science: then and now Gornick, Vivian, 2009.
Dawn Whalen is the Owner and Technology/Education Director for COMPUTER EXPLORERS, a technology education company, in the greater Hartford area.
www.computerexplorers.com/hartford
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Follow my blog: http://computerexplorershartfordct.blogspot.com
COMPUTER EXPLORERS helps children excel and adults stay connected through their interactive technology education programs which are customized to meet the needs of both students and educators. We offer in-school curriculum technology integration programs, fun, hands-on, minds-on after school programs, summer vacation camps, preschool technology programs as well as adult and staff professional development programs.
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