Lawrence JMs in the House! November 2, 2010
Posted by Science Club for Girls in Junior Mentors.Tags: after school, CELLS, children, Clubs, early experience, Education, Fun, girls, high school, Junior Mentors, Lawrence, learning, Non-Profit, Science, STEM, Volunteer
add a comment
What makes SCFG a successful program? First and foremost, the answer is our dedicated volunteers. Science club participants look up to Volunteer Mentor Scientists and Junior Mentors as role models and as friends. These women give their enthusiasm, their personality, and their unique background in science to SCFG.
This year in Lawrence, we are lucky to have a new group of volunteer Junior Mentors from local high schools. High school teachers from Andover and Lawrence were excited to learn about volunteer opportunities with SCFG, and they have recruited excellent students from AP chemistry and biology to help lead clubs.
Our new Junior Mentors have exceeded expectations all around. They have stepped up by developing strong relationships with club participants, leading hands-on activities, and bringing their own outside knowledge into the curriculum. These Junior Mentors are already growing as leaders and developing valuable communication skills that will help them in college and future careers. SCFG is excited to continue working with this awesome group of Junior Mentors, and to expand our group of girls for the spring semester!
Thank you Sarita, Kathryn, Sammie, Elissa, and Chantel
We’re one of six Afterschool Innovator Awardees! October 13, 2010
Posted by Connie Chow in Events, girls in science, STEM pipeline efforts.Tags: after school, award, Boston, Cambridge, CELLS, Childhood, children, Clubs, Free, Giving, inspiration, Junior Mentors, Lawrence, learning, MetLife, Newton, Non-Profit, Science, STEM, women in science
2 comments
The MetLife Foundation and the Afterschool Alliance honored our Science Clubs and C.E.L.L.S. (Career Exploration, Leadership and Life Skills) program for middle school girls with an Afterschool Innovator Award! We were selected from over 300 nominations and are the only Massachusetts-based organization, as well as the only girl-focused organization, to receive the award. The other awardees will be announced later this month. [Update: here they are].
The Afterschool Alliance’s Issue Brief identifies the benefits and barriers of introducing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in after school settings, and highlights our programs as one of several effective models.
Education Secretary Reville
This award affirms that engaging activities beyond the classroom play a key role in the overall strategy to get underrepresented youth and especially girls, interested in STEM, as my colleagues and I had argued in this op-ed.
Massachusetts Secretary of Education Paul Reville graced us with his presence and praise at the award ceremony held yesterday at the King Open School in Cambridge, Science Club for Girls’ birthplace.
“I congratulate the Science Club for Girls and C.E.L.L.S. for this great achievement. These programs have a deep impact on young women, helping to spark an interest that captures the imagination of students, providing them with the support and encouragement they need to reach higher and engage more deeply in the exciting fields of STEM education,” he said.
He spoke eloquently about the “inspiration gap” in youth, and argues for “hands-on learning through engaging, content-rich curricula“.
He expressed his disappointment that his young daughters do not have a Science Club for Girls to join where they live in Worcester. So while his purview falls squarely within schools, he certainly sees after school as an important complement to what happens in school. If YOU do, be sure to ask the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, your representative, child’s principal and superintendent to suppport funding for quality afterschool programs.
Left to right: Cambridge Public School District Deputy Superintendent Carolyn Turk; Susan Richards, Cambridge Agenda for Children; Anita Krishnamurthi, STEM Policy Director, Afterschool Alliance; Connie Chow, Science Club for Girls; Scott Batey, MetLife representative; (front) Aicha Bellabes, Candace Greaves, SCFG junior mentors; City of Cambridge Vice Mayor Henrietta Davis
Here are a few congratulatory messages we received.
Lieutenant Governor Timothy Murray, Chair of the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council:
“This is a well-deserved recognition for a program that is working to strengthen STEM education in Massachusetts. We know that a sharp focus on STEM education is critical to our current and future economic success. That is true for our young men as well as our young women, and the Science Club for Girls is helping to ensure that this is the case.”
Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and an Advisory Board Member for Science Club for Girls:
“This is an important program that seeks to address the gender and diversity gap in STEM education. It empowers young women to think about and prepare for careers in the sciences. As we seek to further strengthen our life sciences workforce in Massachusetts, programs like this are playing an essential role.”
Dennis White, president and CEO of MetLife Foundation:
“Middle school is a pivotal point in young people’s development. We are pleased to join the Afterschool Alliance in recognizing the Science Club for Girls and C.E.L.L.S. program model, which is addressing the needs of middle school students and putting them on the path to success.”
Add your comment below if you feel moved to do so!
College Chapter Kick-Off! October 12, 2010
Posted by scfgblake in Mentor volunteers, Volunteering, women in science.Tags: Boston, Cambridge, college chapter, Education, Harvard, inspiration, learning, Mentors, MIT, Non-Profit, Northeastern, School, Science, STEM, Tufts, Volunteer, women, women in science
add a comment
On September 19, college chapter leaders from five different universities gathered at the Science Club for Girls headquarters in Cambridge, Mass for the first official College Chapter Leadership and Development Training.
Keynote speaker Gwen Acton, president of Women Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (WEST) as well as the founder and CEO of Vivo Group, kicked off the training with a motivational discussion about what it means to be a leader in the 21st century. Afterwards, representatives from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, Northeastern and Tufts universities collaborated on ideas and strategies and engaged in thought-provoking discussions about diversity and low-income demographics.
In the upcoming months college chapters will play a crucial role in the expansion of Science Club for Girls’ volunteer base and lead everything from recruitment efforts to mini Show Me the Science! fairs on their respective college campuses. They will also expand significantly themselves, with each chapter creating an executive board that will consist of a secretary, treasurer, and coordinators of marketing and programming.
Are you ready to be a Mentor? September 19, 2010
Posted by Science Club for Girls in Volunteering.Tags: Boston, Cambridge, children, Clubs, college, early experience, Education, Free, Fun, girls, inspiration, Kids, learning, Mentors, Non-Profit, School, Science, STEM, Volunteer, women, women in science
add a comment
Think back to when you were younger. Who told you that you could be successful? Who made you believe in the power of your dreams? Who has helped you become who you are today? Can you be that person for these girls?
One-time and recurring volunteer opportunities are still available, sign up today!
Two Thumbs Up! August 10, 2010
Posted by Science Club for Girls in General.Tags: Education, inspiration, Kids, learning, Non-Profit, School, Science, STEM, women in science
add a comment
Hello Friends!
We hope your summer is going well and that you are having most awesome science adventures! While roaming around on these adventures we would like to ask you to do us a small favor: tell us what you think of us!
Great Nonprofits is looking to see which Non-Profits are top-rated in Science and Technology. If you write a review before August 31st, we may be included!
We’re looking for your honest opinion so lay it out there! Thanks and happy summer to all!
http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/science-club-for-girls
Girls and their fab mentors
