The National Girls Collaborative Project---Reaching Hands, Minds, Hearts, and Girls

Photos by Karen Peterson, National Girls Collaborative Project, 2010

Have you ever walked into a room and instinctively knew that you were in the midst of something quite special? That’s how I felt when I attended the National Girls Collaborative Project Collaboration Conference in Washington, D.C., October 20-22, 2010. It was exciting to be part of the incredible energy that emanated from the participants and speakers. Dr. Jolene Jesse, Program Director for NSF’s Research on Gender in Science and Engineering program (GSE) also noted and recognized this vibrant energy during her welcoming address. Karen Peterson, the lead Principle Investigator for the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), invited me to this conference to experience the collaborative networking, to interact with presenters and participants, and to learn more about the resources and opportunities for collaboration that NGCP has to offer. I met Karen Peterson, one of our GSE Extension Services grantees at the 2010 Joint Annual Conference in Washington, DC, this past June. It makes me feel so honored to be an Einstein Fellow working with GSE, especially when I see the quality of the programs that NSF/ GSE helps to fund.



The National Girls Collaborative Project doesn’t directly serve girls, but rather focuses on building extensive networks, collaboration, and strategies to support girl-serving organizations for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) statewide, regionally, and nationally throughout the United States. One of the primary goals for NGCP is to inform, engage, encourage, and expand girls’ participation in STEM fields by supporting organizations committed to working to encourage girls to pursue STEM careers. The collaborative model utilizes research-based strategies and training to help the people (practitioners and educators) that directly work with girls and young women in STEM. The NGCP begins by building partnerships among organizations within regional collaboratives. These organizations are higher education institutions, private non-profits, and community-based organizations, such as Girl Scout councils. NGCP uses the power of the network to leverage best practices, maximize access, and share resources, knowledge, and professional development. The NGCP partners with over 210 organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), Microsoft Corporation, Google, Techbridge, the Boeing Company, Girl Scouts of the USA, the National Center for Women and Information Technology, Verizon Wireless, the Afterschool Alliance, and the Exploratorium-Center for Learning and Teaching, and many others.

Regional Collaboratives are operating in California, Connecticut, Florida, Kentucky, Maine, Texas, and Pennsylvania, as well as the Mid-Atlantic (MAGIC) Girls Collaborative (DC, DE, MD, VA), the Midwest Girls Collaborative Project (IL, KS, MS), the New Hampshire/Vermont, Southern New England (MA,RI), the Pacific Northwest Girls Collaborative Project (AK, HI, ID, MT, OR, WA), the Science House Girls Collaborative Project (NC),GRITS (Girls Raised in Tennessee Science Collaborative Project), and the Great Lakes Girls Collaborative Project ((MN, WI, MI, IL, IN, OH).
The NGCP will be expanding to 11 more states over the next five years.



The conference opened with a panel of girls relaying their stories, and how they have been affected by programs the NGCP supports. The panel of girls at the conference ranged from 6th grade to high school seniors. They were all articulate and enthusiastic about their favorite STEM activities and projects. Two of the students spoke of the STEM programs that they as students had initiated and organized because they wanted to know more about options before deciding on a major. One of the high school girls said that her dad was an engineer, but he didn’t know everything, so she wanted to talk to women engineers and scientists from places such as Boeing, IBM, and Fermi Lab. She commented that instead of setting up talks that would only affect her and her two friends, they decided to have a workshop and open it up for all girls in the area. They were surprised by the turnout of 100 girls from 20 schools.

One of the high school panelists said that her school didn’t have a science club, so she got together with one of her buddies, and they collaborated together to start a science club with field trips with 35 to 40 members at their school. The science club consisted of girls and boys from all different grades. The student said that some of the kids were not initially into science, but joined because the after school field trips were cool. Their field trips took them to study the science around Chesapeake Bay, to the planetarium, or to learn more about rockets.



It was no surprise to see that the NGCP began its conference by including feedback, thoughts, and successes shared from girls that had experienced some of the outcomes and effects of the NGCP collaborative efforts. The girls not only shared their experiences, but they also participated. I think that one of the best ways to see the effectiveness of a program is to see the extended outreach and how outreach continues beyond the experience. Talk about a “Trickle Down Effect”!

Keep in mind that it’s the collaborative organizations that work to directly reach girls. The NGCP’s focus is to reach and aid the regional collaborative organizations by expanding an extensive network for communication and collaboration, as well as to provide access to high quality resources and projects. We live in a world that has an overload of information, resources, and self-help books, yet we still often find that we are dealing with feelings of isolation. With the overload, it is refreshing and productive for educators and organizations to offer support and share best practices without having to reinvent the wheel. The more I learn about the NGCP, the more I see how this project not only encourages collaboration, but maintains quality over time. It’s empowering for girls and stakeholders to see the extent that this effect has made on girls- whether it’s leading girls to take STEM courses or to pursue STEM careers, or for unintended benefits, such as “Girls Empowering Girls” by giving students the tools and confidence to collaborate together to put together workshops to address their specific needs. This positive enthusiasm and “Can-Do” Attitude and level of confidence are what the girls conveyed during the panel discussion and subsequently in their poster sessions. I loved that the girls had this opportunity to present their STEM projects and give out their “business cards”.



Karen Peterson addressed a filled-to-capacity crowded room, which offered many opportunities for collaborative networking and professional development at the national conference. During this time, the NGCP recognized and awarded special individuals and organizations for their outstanding collaboration. The outstanding individual award was awarded to Kate Pickle, National Program Manager, STEM, Girls Scouts of the USA for advancing girls in STEM through training, resource development, collaboration, and making connections to many other organizations through her tireless efforts. She strives to connect groups without duplicating efforts. She was noted as a role model that “breathes collaboration” in a “non-competitive spirit” with the intent to inform, encourage, and advance girls in STEM. Karen Tandy, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, accepted the Outstanding Organization award, for Motorola Foundation. The Motorola Foundation supports girls and underrepresented groups in STEM education through the “Innovation Generation” grants program for students to inspire and generate interest for science and science-related careers. It provides funding for grants to students, as well as matches employee volunteers to the Innovative Generation grant recipients to extend expertise from the field, build relationships, and create innovative programs.



To learn more about Regional Collaboratives, the NGCP ‘s activities, publications, newsletters, web casts, a step-by-step guidebook, an online program directory with programs and resources, and mini-grants offered to build collaborations without overlapping services, and to assist in informal learning and evaluation, check out the NGCP Video, free services, and opportunities at www.ngcproject.org.

One of my goals with this blog is to share quality resources and projects. When I think about the success or quality of a project, I begin by asking, “Did the outcome change someone for the better? Did the efforts facilitate and guide? Did it change the direction, or the course of a person’s life and make a difference? “ I know firsthand that the National Science Foundation has played a major role in my life and learning, so it’s always nice for me to see evidence one more time of how their funding has helped to contribute toward efforts to impact people and projects such as the quality of the National Girls Collaborative Project to reach wider audiences through innovation and best practices involving science and STEM, which in turn enables organizations to work together to collaborate to help bridge gaps, extend gender equity, and encourage girls through STEM activities and projects.

Einstein Fellows Visit the Library of Congress

The Triangle Coalition facilitates and manages the Einstein Fellowship Program, as well as provides memorable professional development experiences for the fellows. Our visit to the Library of Congress in September was one of the best “field trips” I’ve ever experienced. We were so fortunate to have the head of the Science Reference Section, Constance Carter, and Joyce Howland, the Reference Collections Librarian to meet and direct our tour. To our surprise, each fellow found several books on the table next to our nametags that were specific to our interests. These wonderful ladies had read our bios and located books in the library that they thought we would like to peruse. The impromptu conversation and the stories from these two delightful women with their many years of experience, their love for books, and their love for this extraordinary Library made our tour extra special. The ornate Italian Renaissance style architecture, history, and the vast and rich assortment of resources is such an amazing treasure in our Nation’s Capitol. Two of the greatest treasures in the Library of Congress are the Gutenberg Bible and the Giant Bible of Mainz, which were made in Mainz, Germany, in the mid 1450’s. Both are rare quality- one was the first to be printed with movable metal type, and the other was handwritten in manuscript. While at the Library of Congress, we also had an excellent and informative lunchtime speaker, Gene Feldman, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, “Observing the Living Oceans from Space.”


A View of the Main Reading Room from the Visitor Gallery

The Library of Congress, one of the world’s largest repositories of books, films, and printed materials is housed in the Adams, Jefferson, and Madison buildings on Capitol Hill. It truly is more than just a library. It houses a collection of more than 28 million catalogued books, moveable exhibits, archived manuscripts, an on-line library and websites, and other printed materials in 470 languages available to the public, researchers, educators, and legislators. ( www.loc.gov)

The National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (www.loc.gov/nls), and the U.S. Copyright Office (www.loc.gov/copyright) are also here. The use of the library in person requires identification from anyone over high school age. The digital library and other resources are extensive and can be found online. The resources at the Library of Congress are varied. An on-line reference service, “Ask a librarian” is available at www.loc.gov/rr/askalib/

The eclectic materials at the Library of Congress are diverse and include such materials as Thomas Jefferson’s rough draft of the Declaration of Independence, a handwritten copy of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address, the work of the Wright Brothers and Thurgood Marshall, the earliest copyrighted film, and even the earliest story and drawings from the original “Spider Man”. The Library has the largest rare book collection in North America, along with maps, prints, photographs, films, sound recordings, and sheet music. It also has a performing arts center (many concerts may be heard on radio or at www.loc.gov/today. ) Genealogical resources can be located at the website, www.loc.gov/rr/genealogy/

The Library of Congress started out as a small library established for the use of Congress when President John Adams signed a bill to transfer the seat of the government from Philadelphia to Washington, DC, in 1800. When the new Capitol was set on fire in 1814 by British troops, the books burned in the fire . Thomas Jefferson offered his extensive personal collection of books that he had collected for 50 years. Congress appropriated $23,950 for 6,487 books.. Unfortunately, in 1851, a fire destroyed many of the books. Today, the remaining books and replacement copies may be found in the Thomas Jefferson’s Library exhibit on the 2nd floor of the Jefferson building. This room was one of the highlights of my visit. It was easy to understand Thomas Jefferson’s words in 1815, “I cannot live without books”.

Teachers may access lesson plans, resources, and materials through programs at www.loc.gov/teachers. The Library also offers science reference services, webcasts, recent science and technology books, health and medical information, prints and photographs, and selected Internet Resources for teachers. Science Reference Guides for Latinos in Math and Science, Biographies of Women Scientists for Girls and Young Women; Girls and Science Education: How to Engage Girls in Science, and Resources for Kids, Young Adults, and Teachers are also available.

While at the Library of Congress, we met with Kris Pruzin, Digital Reference Specialist, who talked to the fellows about the digital collections and Jennifer Harbster, Science Reference Specialist, who told us about “Every Day Mysteries” – Fun Facts from the Library of Congress. “Every Day Mysteries is a place to find out answers to such questions as why pepper makes you sneeze or who invented the toothbrush. Jennifer consults experts to answer questions for K-12 written in easy –to- understand language. http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/

For Teacher Materials and Student Activities: http://myloc.gov
For Kids and Families: http://www.loc.gov/families/
For Visitors: http://www.loc.gov/visit/

Quick Reference Guide to the Library of Congress Web Site: http://www.loc.gov

I left this day with a library card to come back to visit, as well as an excitement and awe for the massive amount of resources available. This is a snapshot moment that I will remember in my life. I will remember this tour and the wonderful staff.

Why So Few?

This photo was taken about four years ago as I looked out over a lake at Katmai National Park in Alaska. Quiet moments like this have given me the opportunity to reflect over the directions that my life has taken. If someone had told me in college that I would one day grow up to be a science teacher that worked with scientists in the field, I would have been shocked. Since science wasn’t a favorite subject for me as I went through school, and since I wasn’t pulled into integrated science until 1997, I would have never envisioned that I would one day go to Washington DC to work to help diffuse gender equity into K-12 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Education. I feel so fortunate to be in DC at a time when the STEM initiative is working to move education forward in our country, especially as our nation works to build a strong domestic workforce.

On September 27, 2010, I had the opportunity to attend a meeting at the White House Conference Center concerning the 2010 AAUW (American Association of University Women) report, Why So Few? This report was funded by one of the grants awarded by our GSE (Research on Gender in Science and Engineering) program. I identified with this report and with the GSE program from the beginning. When I first read the report, Why So Few?, it gave me a better understanding of barriers that kept me from pursuing or even understanding why I would need to have science in my life.

The presentation and discussion at this meeting was led by two of the AAUW ‘s “Why So Few” report co-authors, Drs. Catherine Hill and Christianne Corbett, and the AAUW Government Relations Manager, Tracey Sherman. The discussion focused on the findings as to why there are so few women in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) at a time when women are entering the fields of medicine, business, and law. To learn more about the eight key research findings, download the full report:

www.aauw.org/learn/research/whysofew.cfm

The report focuses on evidence of gender gaps, as well as strategies to help break through social and environmental barriers for girls and women. Gender also includes boys and men of color that have also been affected by gender-related issues that impact their interest in science, educational experiences, self esteem, and an interest to pursue STEM courses in school or to pursue STEM careers. The barriers and lack of understanding are not always conscious- stereotypes, gender bias, and the climate of learning and working environments from birth through K-12 and beyond to colleges, universities, and the workforce continue to block pathways and create barriers for participation in STEM fields.

(If interested in taking an Implicit bias test: “Project Implicit”: https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/).

Barriers can be noted and changed. It begins by gaining an understanding and an awareness concerning gender-related differences and issues. The next step is working together (i.e., home, schools, workforce, government agencies, and legislators) to make the needed changes to address the issues. Our future depends on educating all of our students to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. It’s imperative that our nation works to build a strong domestic STEM workforce and economy to compete globally. Instead of feeling overwhelmed by the challenge, I feel that our nation is moving in the right direction by focusing energy and time in thinking about critical issues such as gender issues that are impairing students and blocking progress. It can’t be done overnight, but the commitment to make changes is a positive step toward our future.

AMTRAK to NYC, "Inspiring Women Scientists" Forum

September 24, 2010: Inspiring Women Scientists Forum

I took the 5:30 a.m. AMTRAK train from Washington Union Station (WAS) to Penn Station (NYP) and arrived in New York City at 8:40 a.m. with an easy walk to the CUNY Graduate Center at 365 Fifth Avenue at 34th Street. Dr. Shirley Mow, Project Director of the NSF Women Writing Science Program at The Feminist Press, City University of New York, invited me to this conference. I first met Dr. Mow at the 2010 Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) Conference in Washington DC this past summer. The forum brought together research scientists, post docs, faculty members, authors, and undergraduates. The day began with keynote speaker, Dr. Elaine Fuchs, discussing her research concerning Stem Cells of the Skin. Claudia Dreifus, New York Times reporter and co-author of a book with Andrew Hacker, “Higher Education”, interviewed her. The personal interview focused on the challenges, thoughts, and career as a women scientist. The participants in the audience were given the opportunity to ask questions to address specific concerns, such as child care, mentoring, funding of grants, equal pay, territorial faculty members, and the need to work harder to succeed. One thing I took away from this interview exchange was the message of knowing when to take a negative and turn it into a positive.


The forum also included a panel of women scientists from City College-CUNY and panelists from industry and research, including a patent attorney. Each panel included a moderator to field questions from the audience as the scientists and professors discussed challenges each faced at different stages of their career. Again, child care was addressed, as well as the tenure track, isolation, lab time, opportunities for jobs and advancement, protecting research time by balancing research, families, and being on committees. I benefitted from not only hearing the answers, but also by hearing the questions, suggestions, and concerns from the audience. It reinforced the research-based evidence addressed in “Why so Few”. The guest speaker, Dr. Janna Levin, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, at Barnard College, Columbia University, gave an energetic presentation of her research followed by a question and answer session. I spent a little time at the poster session at the end of the day before leaving to catch the 6:20 PM train back to DC. Despite the train delay due to a motor replacement, (which put me back in DC around 10:45 PM), it was a day well spent.

Getting Settled in the Midst of Opportunities

Someone told me that the Einstein Fellowship experience would be like a fountain that doesn’t stop flowing. I found this to be true from day one. There are so many opportunities for continued learning. Since I love learning, it has been a wonderful, but hectic time, especially as we settled into the DC area.

With this said, my next step is to apologize for just now beginning my blog. We have moved three times since coming to DC on August 24^th. It’s a long story, but we have lived out of suitcases in furnished apartments until our apartment was ready. (This photo was taken with my cell phone during our move.)

As life would have it, my husband, Bob, left to go out to Sea on September 6, 2010, with the Consortium for Ocean Leadership’s “School of Rock” for two weeks (See Bob King and School of Rock: http://joidesresolution.org/blog ). He left from Victoria, British Columbia, on the research vessel, the JOIDES Resolution, at the same time that I began working at the National Science Foundation (NSF) on September 7^th. This also coincided with the final move into our unfurnished apartment on September 8^th. Our blowup bed, two bean bag chairs, two lamps, and a card table worked fine until we bought a mattress, dressers, and a table with chairs. It’s nice to finally feel settled enough to begin the blog. So much has happened over these last 30 days. Let me back track a little now to fill in some of the experiences during these past couple of weeks.

I work with Dr. Jolene Jesse, program director for Research on Gender in Science and Engineering Program (GSE), with the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD) under the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR). I attend regularly scheduled meetings each week with Jolene Jesse and with the HRD Division. It’s a very positive learning and working environment. I am always running just to catch up, but I have such a supportive group here at NSF and with the Triangle Coalition (The fellowship has had meetings at such places as NASA Headquarters, the National Academy of Science, and the Library of Congress).

My workspace at NSF begins in a cubicle that provides the quiet space I need to read solicitations and reports, work on updating reports, and to establish contacts and networking through email or phone calls. I get a lot done here, but the work space continues beyond these walls: I’m constantly going to meetings, brown bags, professional events, or even taking work home at night. One of my roles as an Einstein Fellow with GSE is to help with outreach for extension and diffusion services tracks. This outreach isn’t directly for teachers or students, but for practitioners that seek innovative ways to build the knowledge base to address gender-related differences. One of the goals is to bring about positive and sustainable changes that will affect teachers and reach students to increase participation in STEM fields. I am currently working on a brochure for GSE to be disseminated at conferences and meetings.

My first week in Washington DC began with orientation meetings with the Triangle Coalition at the Department of Energy. We met with program managers, as well as a representative from NOAA to discuss professional development and possible interagency connections. We also met with a panel of leaders for three major STEM organizations: The Executive Director for NSTA (National Science Teachers Association, Francis Eberle), the Executive Director for NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Kichoon Yang), and Executive Director for ITEEA (International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, Kendall Starkweather). They each discussed their organization’s initiatives and programs.

There are 32 Einstein Fellows this year to work on the STEM initiative including 20 Einstein Fellows at NSF. The group went to the National Academy of Science to have a “photo op” with Einstein. The photo above was taken of me and my friend, Jean Pennycook, Einstein Fellow for DRL, Discovery Education. Jean and I first met when we participated in the National Science Foundation’s Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic Program. I have 60 journal entries with images of my field experience in Antarctica on line at http://tea.armadaproject.org. I have an online activity, “Skittle Cores” with Dr. Sam Bowser at www.bowserlab.org. Jean works with the Adelie Penguins in Antarctica. Check out her web site and follow her trip this season. www.penguinscience.com. This web site gets a million hits per month during this season. I feel that some experiences and opportunities in life, such as my field experience in Antarctica, prove to be a catalyst in growth and learning. Without a doubt, my Einstein Fellowship is one of those moments in time that will have a lasting impact on my life and learning. It will change the course of my life and provide guidance and opportunities for continued support for STEM Education. I know that I won’t be the same person at the end of this year.

Along with committee meetings and lectures, I have attended several events for continued learning. One evening I attended the Amazon Environment lecture and reception at the French Embassy. I also attended the National Geographic Live with NPR Radio’s “Talk of the Nation: The Gulf Oil Spill and State of the Oceans” with Sylvia Earle and Enric Sala. I’ve networked with the Department of Education Teacher Ambassador Fellows, attended the press conference at the National Press Club for the National Science Board’s “Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators Report”, as well as the Washington Monthly and Education Sector, “Getting to Graduation”, at Resources for the Future Conference Center. I could keep on writing about what all I’ve experienced these last 30 days, but for now, let me stop and continue this later.

Life is Ever Changing

Who would have known at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year that my life was about to change tremendously. I started last school year with my son getting married on a Saturday, and then started full time with students the following Monday at a new school teaching a new grade level. I had previously taught every grade kindergarten through sixth grade. Teaching 8th grade science made me realize even more how important it is to get STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) into classrooms.

When I was offered an Einstein fellowship with NSF’s Research on Gender in Science and Engineering (GSE), I felt that it was truly my match because I was one of those students that never saw a connection to science or why it was important to my life. It wasn’t until I was an adult, actually a teacher, that I realized the importance of integrating learning by “doing”. When I started working with scientists and going into the field to work on their research, I saw STEM firsthand. This led me toward implementing this type of approach into my classroom and to apply for a fellowship.

When school ended on May 29^th, my husband and I headed west on June 2^nd to help with our oldest son’s geology field research project in Utah (photo: San Rafael Swell). We also helped scientists with two teacher workshops in the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming.

I was so fortunate to be able to spend four days attending sessions at the Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) in Washington D.C. in early June. I appreciate Jolene Jesse, the Program Director of GSE, for inviting me to this conference. It gave me the opportunity to learn more about Gender Research, as well as the chance to meet with GSE extension grantees to see how they successfully implemented research into action. It gave me a greater appreciation of the importance for utilizing research on gender equity during the planning, implementation, and evaluation stage of each project or program, as well as a better understanding of why there are so few, especially women, going into science and engineering. This summer, I found myself talking to teachers, scientists, and parents with children that I just met on the street about the little things that need to be done to make big changes in a student’s learning and career choices.

We came home for a couple of days to wash clothes and repack before heading to work at the National Marine Education Association Conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Before arriving home on August 6^th, my husband and I used free flight credit to fly to Alaska to visit our youngest son who works as a bear technician at Denali National Park. While in Fairbanks, I reconnected with educators and scientists that I respect so much for their dedication to science education, and the impact that they’ve made on teachers and students. I met with a teacher that flies into remote villages in the bush to work with teachers and students, a professor/scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and the IARC education outreach director (International Arctic Research Center and Center for Global Climate Change & Arctic System Research), and the education director at ARCUS (Arctic Research Consortium for the United States).

My husband, Bob, also my partner-in-learning, will be joining me in Washington, D.C. We are excited about this next venture in life. I’m looking forward to my fellowship to continue networking and integrating what is needed to broaden and increase participation to a wider range of communities of K-12 practitioners by working to diffuse research and innovative learning to address gender-based differences and career choices in STEM education. D.C---Here we come!