Inspiring Girls to Pursue Their Passions

by Chris Eboch

Participants travel up a glacier during the Girls on Ice Alaska 2018 expedition. Photo courtesy of Aurora Roth.

Many young girls love science and the outdoors, but as they grow older, society discourages those pursuits. The Inspiring Girls program helps girls become women who “pursue their passions in science and outdoor activities.” Professional women —scientists, artists, and wilderness guides—mentor high school girls on two-week wilderness expeditions in Alaska, Washington State, Colorado, Canada, Switzerland, or central Asia.

The program began in 2012 at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, with “Girls on Ice Alaska.” Aurora Roth found the program as a glaciology graduate student there. “Everything about it resonated,” she says. “It was field sciences, doing science outside, teaching in outdoor environments, glaciers. I’ve always

liked art, and it had art.”

She volunteered as a “gear fairy,” transporting extra science gear and food. She also hiked in for a day to teach science communication. “Being a part of a group of women and girls learning and laughing together in the wilderness was magical,” says Aurora, now a Polar Field Engineer based in Socorro. “I felt this program would help me grow into the person I wanted to be by supporting young women.” She became an instructor, teaching the science of glaciers and landscapes.

Mylène Jacquemart, a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Colorado, Boulder, helped start Colorado’s “Girls on Rock” program. “Geosciences are often associated with a stereotypical image of people doing tough fieldwork in rough environments, which can be intimidating,” she says. “We want to show that anyone can do this work, and the backcountry is a really empowering place.”

Advisors help students develop group research projects. “In schools, you’re often taught that science is linear: from question to hypothesis to answer,” Aurora says. “We try to convey that science is more of a merry-go-round process. It’s not simply a lab report following teacher instructions. We face factors like

The 2018 Girls on Rock team. Photo courtesy of Mylène Jacquemart.

changing weather that you don’t have in the lab.”

Jenny Nakai, a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of New Mexico, joined the Colorado program as a guest instructor on geology and seismology, including earthquakes. “It was a wonderful opportunity to develop field teaching skills and encourage the girls’ interest and passion for science,” she says.

Other programs introduce girls to science. (See “A World of Science,” February 2020.) Inspiring Girls is unusual in including wilderness skills. “If you have never been exposed to the wilderness, it can be intimidating, especially for young girls,” Jenny says. “Being in the wilderness allows the instructors to share their appreciation of nature and the mountains.”

“Women are underrepresented in field sciences, and field science is really hard for schools to capture,” Aurora adds. “By having this wilderness travel curriculum, we get to expose our students to field science and women working in field sciences. They learn how to move through a landscape safely. We remove our team from their comfort zone in an urban environment.” The girls learn to set up tents while still close to town. Once in the wilderness, they hand over cell phones. “When they come out, they’re always really thankful for that time, and a lot of them

Girls on Rock and Girls on Ice participants active in the outdoors, collecting samples for science projects, and gathered together for project presentations. Photos courtesy of Mylène Jaquemart and Aurora Roth.

don’t want their phones back,” Aurora says.

Art exercises show the value of adding Art to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) to make STEAM. Most people see themselves as either artsy or scientific. “That boundary is totally artificial,” Mylène says. “Both artists and scientists are keen observers.”

“Observation is critical to science, art, and traveling in the backcountry,” Aurora says. “Art has value in and of itself, but it also helps communicate science.” Teams include a mountaineer, an artist, and scientists. “The instructors participate in everything, so the students see us pushing our boundaries as well.”

The science, art, and wilderness aspects combine in daily art and science lessons. The expedition ends with participants presenting their research projects to the public.

Unfortunately, health concerns canceled the 2020 summer season. Inspiring Girls may offer some online content instead. In the future, they will return to the wilderness with tuition-free programs. Southwestern students typically go to the Colorado program.

Inspiring Girls grows as volunteers develop more programs. “I have a dream of one day doing ‘Girls in the Desert,’” Aurora says. May the wilderness inspire girls for years to come.

Learn how you can get involved, stay in touch about future events, or apply at www.inspiringgirls.org