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TJ GEMS GIRLS IN ENGINEERING, MATH,
& SCIENCE |
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To
increase female interest and participation in engineering, math, and
science. Since many girls lose
confidence or interest in these fields during middle school, we show them
that they can be successful in these areas and encourage them to pursue math,
science, and technology in higher education and careers. As positive role models and mentors, we
provide weekly tutoring and hands-on science activities for girls at Meetings: We
visit Responsibilities: You
are welcome to come every Wednesday, but you are not obligated to do so. We understand that our members have
commitments to academics, sports, music, and other clubs. Unlike tutoring, there is no mandatory time commitment. Come to as many History GEMS
was founded in 2001, with the dedicated leadership of Kelly Geoghegan, Rachel
Klet, Julia Snyder, and others. Over
the years, we have sponsored several educational field trips and special
events in addition to our In
2002, we visited the The
next year, we joined TWIST, WISE, CORE, and Keyettes (the other women’s
groups at TJ) in the first Techstravaganza, a science and technology carnival
for 6th to 8th grade girls. We designed and managed activity booths
throughout the school, in an effort to encourage more girls to apply to TJ
and pursue math and science. In
2004, we toured the Naval Research Laboratory, where we interacted with
scientists and observed their research in engineering, chemistry, and
nanotechnology. The same year, we were
honored to receive recognition from the Virginia Mathematics and Science
Coalition for our mentoring efforts. Additionally,
we increased awareness of gender stereotypes with our innovative game show Gender Feud. Based on the popular Family Feud, the show asked teams of students and faculty “How
much do you know about the opposite sex?”
We surveyed TJ students and staff with questions such as “What is your
dream occupation?” and asked the contestants to guess how the opposite sex
responded. Between the laughs, the
audience learned that many of society’s gender stereotypes are not indeed
true. Goals
for 2004: -
Increase
one-on-one mentoring with the girls -
Have
a consistent number of TJ and Glasgow girls each Wednesday -
Organize
two teams of TJ girls that would each visit -
Expand
the number of girls we tutor -
Organize
bonding activities with the -
Hold
fundraisers, including a fall car wash, t-shirt sales, and a J-Day booth -
Organize
fun and educational field trips |
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WEBMASTER: CHARLOTTE SEID LAST UPDATED: JULY
21, 2004 |