This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

GEMS Gather At Dogwood for Science in Action

Female engineers encourage girls to pursue technology, math.

Two dozen classrooms full of fifth- and sixth-grade girls were buzzing with excitement at Reston’s on Saturday morning as they gathered to float eggs, build a wacky Rube Goldberg Machine and “flink” balloons (they didn’t float or sink, but they flinked).

Downstairs, the parents attended workshops that conveyed this message:  you have an important role to play in encouraging your daughters to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

This is the 20th anniversary meeting of the GEMS Conference: Girls Excelling in Math and Science. The group was  founded in 1991 by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Reston-Herndon Branch.  Dogwood Elementary School and its business partner, Lockheed Martin, signed on as event partners nine years ago.  This year, more than 200 girls attended from a dozen Fairfax County elementary schools.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The conference has encouraged several thousand girls over the years, conveying that girls can be good at math and science; math and science careers are fun, exciting and team oriented; and it’s important to study science and math in high school and college.

Women scientists, engineers, health care professionals and financial experts from local companies share their time, passion and expertise with hands-on projects.

Find out what's happening in Restonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Some of the workshop presenters are only a few years ahead of the participants and had were past GEMS conference attendees themselves.   Three workshops organized by girls from and Thomas Jefferson High School of Science and Technology showed the girls' enthusiasm for staying on the STEM path and the younger girls clearly enjoyed seeing “teachers” closer to their own age.

Dogwood Elementary teacher Linda Martin said one of the goals is to introduce girls to women role models.

“We tell the girls to have some fun and learn today because it can help them envision a future for themselves," said Martin.  "Everything these women have done, you can do too. ”

Laura Jones, founder and director of the GEMS clubs, led one of the parent panels and shared dozens of parent and educational resources including her list of the top 10 ways to help your daughter remain interested in math, science and technology.

Jones points out the findings from the 2010 AAUW national research report, Why So Few

  “We have to build a mindset for the girls that these skills can be acquired," she said. "There isn’t a math gene.  Just like we encourage boys to read more, we can encourage girls to have fun with science and math.

 “Point out role models," she said. "Buy a science kit or building toy as a gift.  Take her to the National Building Museum’s Engineering festival every February—it will change her life.”

The girls, in the meantime, were busy at the conference bulding and thinking. Asma Ibrahim, a sixth grader, mixed acids and bases and created a volcano.

 “Making stuff –that’s what’s interesting,” she said. 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?