The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, PA, in collaboration with the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, the largest voluntary organization for girls in the world, requests NSF support for the National Science Partnership for Girl Scout Councils and Science Museums. This three-year project establishes partnerships between seven Girl Scout councils and six science-technology museums in six regions across the nation to promote science interest and knowledge in young American women. The project provides hands-on science activity kits and training workshops for Girl Scout leaders that assist them in conducting science activities with their troops. The science activities are directly linked to the existing Girl Scout badge program and help Brownie and Junior Girl Scouts (ages 8-11) fulfill science-related badge requirements. Each council/museum partnership will develop a specific program that involves the local underserved populations in Girl Scout science activities. during the three years of federal support, the National Science Partnership will develop a specific program that involves the local underserved populations in Girl Scout science activities. During the three years of federal support, the National Science Partnership will directly serve 11,500 leaders and 138,000 Girl Scouts. Extensive project dissemination will encourage the involvement of new partnerships and the institutionalization of the National Science Partnership by GSUSA, councils, science museums, and other formal education organizations so that the project has the potential to reach the more than 2.3 million Girl Scouts and 780,000 leaders across the United States.
SciTech Clubs for Girls, a three year old program, aims to encourage continuing interest in science and mathematics among 9-14 year-old girls. It gives them an experience in building a hands-on science exhibit for display at SciTech, a hands-on science center. Based on recent research, this program strikes at four major forces that keep girls out of the pipeline to careers in mathematics and science. Mentors by female professionals, the girls learn the safe use of tools, a principle for science, confidence in building things, and the pride of building and exhibit for use by tens of thousands of visitors yearly. Recently SciTech received a $125,000 grant from Youth ALIVE| A National Initiative of the DeWitt Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund to continue the program for 3-years and to expand it. We will reach 20 clubs of girls each year from organizations that serve girls. The program will reach older and younger girls and their female leaders. We will also reach into the intercity of Chicago to serve more minority girls. Under the YouthALIVE| grant we will carefully evaluate results and begin to disseminate the program to other museums nationally.
Girls Inc. will develop a national model summer program for girls aged 12 to 16 to encourage their interest in science, their enrollment in science courses in high school, and their interest in science careers. The recruitment of girls from low-income and minority families as participants will be a high priority. The program will represent a synthesis of Operation Smart, an afterschool science and mathematics program, and Eureka Teen Achievement Program, which introduces science and mathematics in summer programs through sports. The program will be developed and field- tested in five diverse Girls inc. sites around the country and to other interested groups. Substantial formative and impact evaluation is planned.
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Libby PalmerHeather Johnston Nicholsonellen wahl
Founded in 1979, the Science Skills Center (SSC) is a non-profit community based program which encourages young minority and female students to pursue careers in science, mathematics, and technology. At its current two sites, located in Brooklyn, New York, approximately 400 students, ages six to eighteen, are enrolled in programs where they take accelerated courses in biology, chemistry, physical science, rocketry, oceanography, botany, and advanced mathematics. Classes, which are presented within the cultural and linguistic understanding of minority children, provide students with an opportunity to recognize the relationship of science, mathematics, and technology to their everyday lives. The SSC proposes to replicate its present programs, establishing three additional sites in the New York City area in three years. The SSC also proposes to establish a systematic replication program which would assist other communities, both regional and national, to establish their own SSCs. This project would require a resource person to guide communities in all aspects of program development. To assist in that effort, SSC proposes development of comprehensive educational and administrative manuals as well as the preparation of accompanying training and profile videos. Finally, the SSC proposes to develop a research module in software and manual form which would assess and track student learning, school performance, performance on standardized exams, career aspiration and selection, and student attitudes in a community based science program targeting minority students.
This proposal requests matching support to create a dynamic science, engineering, and technology careers museum exhibit--SET Careers, for distribution to science museums and technology centers. The exhibit kiosks with related career graphics surrounds, incorporate multimedia platforms, using MacIntosh authoring software to dreate information landscapes' computer motion programs like Quicktime, and Cd-1 or DVI videodisc technology. Yound museum visitors (teens and Preteens) will be invited to enter into an exciting interactive exploration of thirty self-narrated video profiles of people in science and engineering, try our animated/reality video simulations of a work experience in these fields, and obtain additional information from a database of over 200 more science and math-based professions. The videodisc profiles, database, and a personal interests component will also be developed in alternative media formats (video, audio, print, computer disc) for broad distribution to community and youth education networks, schools, and libraries. Specific emphasis in this project is being placed on reaching and attracting female, minority, and disabled youths.
CTW is approaching completion of the fifth and final season of new show production for Square One TV -- a daily PBS television series designed to promote interest in and enthusiasm for mathematics among eight- to twelve-year-olds, with special attention given to girls and minority children. Research has shown that Square One TV is educationally effective, and the series has received numerous awards, from both the educational and broadcasting communities.