AAUW 2009-10 CAP Team University of California, Davis WIstem

1. AAUW 2009-10 CAP TeamUniversity of California, DavisWIstem NCCWSL: 6/3-5, 2010, University of Maryland Priya Panneerselvam, Team Presenter Women’s Resources and Research Center, WISE

2. “WISTEM FOR GIRLS” Project Goals • Encourage girls toward STEM fields, through hands-on workshops. • Build relationships between UC Davis, local elementary schools, and non-profit Isis-Education. • Hold pilot Isis-Ed curriculum workshops, and one day UCD campus event. • Evaluate what was learned and plan for the next steps.

3. WISTEM for Girls Two Phase Project

4. Community Partner: Isis-Education • AAUW member developing non-profit. • Start-up project with pilot curriculum over three 3 hour workshops, funded in part by grant. • Offers technology classes for girls on regular basis. • Collaboration with local schools for reaching girls, and with UCD Women’s Center for mentors, campus events and future projects.

5. Phase I: Curricular Workshops • Six 5th & 6th grade students from 3 schools, and 4 UCD mentors participated. • Isis-Ed pilot lesson plans included binary numbers with beads; computer hardware/software; dissecting “dead” computers; robotics, and learning circuitry with Snap Circuits. • These girls became the “Tech Leaders” demonstrating circuitry at the campus event. They are shown here building toothbrush robots!

6. II. UCD Campus STEM Fair • 50 girls ultimately attended (target of 35), from 4 local schools who invited participants based on interest/ability and under-represented/underserved status. • The schedule included: pre-survey; T-shirts & icebreakers; introductions, Parto Aram on why be an engineer & Isis-Ed.; Snap Circuits demos by Tech Leaders; Hands-on work with circuits; visit by UCD Chancellor; lunch with mentors; lab tours; post-survey.

7. Snap Circuits! • This “toy” appropriate for ages 8-108, introduced girls to electronics . • 15 UCD volunteer student mentors and 4 Isis-Ed Tech Leaders facilitated various experiments. • Each participating school had science teachers present who also learned by doing. Each took 4 kits back to their home schools.

8. UCD Chancellor Linda Katehi, engineer & role model - talking about radar & cell phones

9. Montage of morning events

10. FieldtripsAll girls attended 2 of 6 labs: nanos; biomedical; engineering; vivarium; bioreactor; aeronautics; chemistry.

11. Wrap-up Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream and Evaluations

12. Pre-Event Questions: Question 1: If you grow up to be a scientist, technologist, engineer, or mathematician, which one of more of these fields would you be in and why? Total: 52 More specific answers included: Doctor, Veterinarian, Computer Designer

13. Question 2: What can you do on and with a computer? • All girls (n=49) answered that they used computers, for various purposes: information (internet), communication (email, web pages) and entertainment (playing games, movies, music). • Several (not Tech Leaders) said that they had investigated how computers work: “I can fix a computer mouse that does not work:” “take (a computer) apart, put it back together, and it will work.” • Computer literacy in terms of usage was very high. in terms of thinking about how the machines worked, this was all new to most girls.

14. Question 3: What do you hope to learn about today? Total: 56 items *Note: Subjects include: Math, Engineering, Science, Technology, Electronics, Electricity *Note: Careers include: Engineer, Scientist, Mathematician, Technologist More specific answers included: How to make a Homework Machine, UC Davis!

15. Post-Event Questions: Question 4: What did you like the most (besides the food) about what we did today—please tell us in words or drawings.Total: 51 *Note: Biomedical Engineering includes: X-Rays, Rats, The Bioreactor Lab *Note: Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering includes: The Tower of Death.More specific answers included: Everything! , Meeting the Chancellor Drawings included: Rats, X-Ray Machines

16. Question 5: What did you learn that you did not know about before? Total: 35 More specific answers included: That plants have tumors, that you can replace body parts that you can’t grow back, you must always wear a helmet, that UCD rocks!, and that there are many different jobs that relate to chemistry.

17. Question 6: What would you suggest we do differently and why for another WISTEM fair? Total: 28 *Note: More Time refers to both more time on individual activities and on the entire event. More specific answers included: Build something! , Do this again, Do this girl thing everyday after school

18. Lessons Learned • Engineering is much less visible to girls than science as a career path (pre-survey). • Few girls acknowledged curiosity about how computers, cell phones or other devices work, while the aptitude is there. • Girls can be quickly engaged about STEM fields (post-survey). • Sustained programming is needed to create change and opportunities for girls in STEM - allow more time in events.

19. What Next with WISTEM for girls? • Stemming.org blogging website, used to encourage connections between UCD mentors and local 5th & 6th grade girls. • UCD WISE Committee to pursue NSF grants- K-12 STEM education partnering with schools. • Develop UCD WISTEM campus summer camp • Build collaboration between UCD & Isis Education. • Follow-up with local school participants, post-survey on career choices, use of Snap Circuits

20. Thank You! • To AAUW for their grant of $3,560 that covered most expenses: Snap Circuit kits, pilot project materials; 80 T-shirts (!); lunch for 73; and ice cream ingredients. • To some 30 school, community and university volunteers for their huge good will, mentoring and time. • To 50 invited girls who learned, charmed and energized as future Women In STEM. • To our audience today.

21. Thank you note from one of the STEM girls YES! We hope to do it again!