Girlstart: The M icro Scope: 2013 About Girlstart Girlstart’s mission is to increase girls’ interest and engagement in STEM through innovative, nationally-recognized informal STEM education programs. By empowering more girls to continue STEM studies, we can help address our nation’s STEM workforce inequities and impact innovation and economic development in America and across the globe. To accomplish its mission, Girlstart develops and implements a range of innovative, research- and standardsbased education and mentorship programs designed to promote girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourage girls' aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubate a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Founded in Austin, Texas, Girlstart is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM through year-round STEM educational programming. Since 1997, Girlstart has served over 50,000 girls and 7,500 teachers and families with school-based programs, professional development for teachers, summer camps, STEM career conferences and expos, large-scale science events for families, and community STEM education outreach programs. Girlstart programs are open to girls K-16. We are focused on serving girls of diverse ethnicities, girls who live in low-income or nonurban environments, and/or are considered at-risk. In 2013, we served more than 13,000 girls, teachers, and family members, 96% of whom participated at no cost. Our goals are to: • Increase girls’ competency in conducting scientific investigations and critical thinking/reasoning; • Increase girls’ facility and mastery in STEM skills; • Increase girls’ confidence and interest in conducting STEM activities; and • Increase girls’ awareness of STEM careers and interest in pursuing STEM electives, subjects, majors, and careers. W hat W e Do: Girlstart’s Year-Round STEM Education Program s for Girls Girlstart After School: Fall / Spring Semesters (Elementary and Middle School) Girlstart After School is an intensive intervention where we provide free STEM programming every week throughout the school year at our partner schools, as well as wraparound services to support STEM in each partner school. Girlstart After School involves sequential, informal, hands-on and inquiry-based activities across the STEM acronym. Girlstart Summer Camp: Summer Semester (Elementary and Middle School) Our camps are thematic, week-long STEM experiences for girls in the 4th-8th grades. They are designed to build STEM skills and increase interest in STEM, as well as STEM majors and
careers. Girlstart Summer Camp has been recognized as one of four “exemplary” and “highly scalable” STEM education programs in the nation by Change the Equation. Girls in STEM Conference: Spring Semester (Elementary and Middle School) Girls in STEM introduces girls to STEM careers through hands-on activities led by professional women working in STEM. Community STEM Programs: All Semesters (K-12) As a community outreach service, Girlstart provides free, family-friendly Community STEM programming that involve high-quality STEM activities for children and family members annually. These programs are free and take place in varied schools and community sites around Central Texas, as well as at Girlstart’s STEM Center, where we have the region’s only publicly accessible permanent planetarium. GAB: Girlstart Alumnae Board: All Semesters (High School) Girlstart’s engagement program specifically for alumna—the Girlstart Alumnae Board, or GAB—is a multifaceted way to reach, engage, and sustain the involvement of our alumna through high school and college. In addition to being a forum for providing feedback to Girlstart on key questions, GAB is also a forum for alumna as they seek to transition from Girlstart girls to college students and professional women in STEM. STEM CREW: All Semesters (College) Each semester, Girlstart recruits and trains a cadre of pre-service teachers in its internship program, whom we call STEM CREW members (creative, resourceful, empowered women). Our STEM CREW provides us with a consistent, talented, committed, and skilled group of program leaders, who simultaneously gain valuable training and classroom experience. Through the STEM CREW, Girlstart improves the preparation of future teachers by providing them with pedagogical and practical sets of skills to engage students in STEM, as well as support and resources that foster their development and growth as teachers. Girls and W om en in STEM : W hy Girlstart is Needed It is no longer conjecture that a workforce skilled in STEM is necessary for the US to regain a global competitive edge and maintain economic prosperity. Careers in STEM are also exceptional opportunities for American individuals. Jobs in STEM fields command higher wages (STEM workers earn 31% more than their non-STEM counterparts), greater job security (STEM workers are less likely to experience joblessness than their non-STEM counterparts, and if they do experience joblessness, they are quicker to find a new job than a non-STEM professional), and excellent potential for growth (STEM occupations are projected to grow by 17% through 2018, compared to 9.8% growth for non-STEM occupations.1 In addition to the 1
“Women in STEM: A Gender Gap to Innovation” Issue Brief, US Department of Commerce, last modified August 3, 2011, www.esa.doc.gov/Reports/women-stem-gender-gap-innovation. “The Potential Impact of an Initiative to Increase the Pool of
benefits of STEM innovations to the U.S. economy and to Americans’ quality of life, STEM careers offer pathways out of poverty. This is particularly meaningful for girls, as more than 63% of the nation’s households have a woman as sole or co-breadwinner.2 Despite these benefits, the United States is facing a critical shortage of skilled STEM workers. Change the Equation reports that between 2009 and 2012, the number of STEM-focused job postings in the U.S. outnumbered unemployed STEM professionals by nearly two to one.3 STEM occupations will continue to grow as technology becomes ever more essential to our economy. Yet half the world’s potential STEM professionals—women and girls—are discouraged from pursuing STEM and from developing vital STEM ideas. Only 15.1% of Texas high school girls report interest in STEM careers.4 Although more women than men enroll in college, women earn only 31% of the total number of STEM degrees (and only one in seven engineering bachelor’s degrees is awarded to a woman).5 Even fewer persist in STEM careers: women hold only 24% of the nation’s STEM jobs.6 Although there is significant reason to invest in STEM education, public schools face significant challenges in nurturing a STEM literate population. American students’ aptitude in science and math now lags behind students in advanced, as well as emerging, nations. In 2013, only 29% of Texas 5th graders met or exceeded the recommended standard for math, and students in Texas elementary schools currently spend only 2.3 hours per week learning science in their classrooms.7 Other states’ public education systems face similar challenges, especially as recent deep budget cuts nationwide have severely impacted already fragile school systems. In order to bridge this gap, Girlstart’s year-round programs foster STEM skills development, an understanding of the importance of STEM as a way to solve the world’s major problems, as well as an interest in STEM electives, majors, and careers.8 The elementary and middle school years are a critical time to cultivate a life-long enthusiasm for STEM pursuits among girls. Under pressure to raise test scores in reading and mathematics, schools are often forced to de-emphasize technology and science, particularly at the Engineering Graduates on Business Activity in Texas,” The Perryman Group, last modified January 2007, www.perrymangroup.com. 2 Heather Boushey, “The New Breadwinners” in The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything, ed. Heather Boushey et al. (Center for American Progress, 2009). http://shriverreport.org/the-new-breadwinners/. 3 “Vital Signs: STEM Help Wanted: Demand for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Weathers the Storm,” Change the Equation, accessed August 21, 2013, www.changetheequation.org/stemdemand. 4 “Where are the STEM Students? Where are the STEM Jobs? 2012-2013,” My College Options and STEMconnector, accessed October 12, 2013, https://store.stemconnector.org/Where-Are-the-STEM-Students_p_8.html. 5 “Vital Signs: United States,” Change the Equation, accessed December 20, 2013, http://vitalsigns.changetheequation.org/#usUnited States-Overview. 6 “Women in STEM.” 7 “State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness Summary Report,” Texas Education Agency, accessed January 23, 2014, http://www.tea.state.tx.us/student.assessment/staar/rpt/sum/yr13/. “Vital Signs: Texas,” Change the Equation, accessed December 20, 2013, http://vitalsigns.changetheequation.org/#tx-Texas-Overview. 8 “STEMworks: Ready to Scale,” Change the Equation, last modified October 3, 2013, http://changetheequation.org/stemworksready-scale.
elementary level. However, when girls miss out on STEM subjects in their primary school years, they are likely to miss out on these subjects at the secondary level. Girlstart programs extend girls’ STEM learning hours, supplement the instruction they receive in school, and demonstrate the real-life applications of STEM concepts through fun and engaging activities. By introducing girls to rewarding STEM experiences and fostering a sense of self-efficacy in STEM subjects, Girlstart programs help girls make this essential step towards a brighter future. W ho W e Serve: W ho Are the Girls in Girlstart Program s? Girlstart is exclusively dedicated to STEM education programs for girls. Our programs are directly linked to the impact we seek to make: increase the number of women and girls in STEM electives, majors, and careers. While 100% of Girlstart target participants—girls—are already underserved in STEM, we are particularly interested in changing the equation for girls who are also at-risk, live in a low-income or nonurban environment, or are of a nonwhite ethnicity. Texas schools serve a diverse population comprising inner-city and nonurban students as well as a high proportion of ELLs, first-generation college aspirants, and youth from low-income backgrounds—all groups that are at high risk for academic failure and that, along with women, are under-represented in STEM. This compounds the general trend that prompted Girlstart’s founding, that girls, especially from the 4th grade, begin to lose interest in STEM.9 Because of this, Girlstart is focused on serving girls in 4th through 8th grade and particularly on girls who live in low-income or rural environments (and/or considered ‘at-risk’ of academic failure by the Texas Education Agency). Girlstart’s approach to OST programs incorporates informal characteristics now widely recognized in the science education field as promising practices in STEM education for girls.10 Research has shown that employing such strategies can improve girls’ interest in pursuing STEM courses and careers and reduce gender stereotypes and biases associated with STEM pursuits. Of our two core programs--Girlstart After School and Girlstart Summer Camp--49% are Latina, 10% African-American, 29% Caucasian, 7% Asian/Pacific Islander, and 5% identify as multiethnic. We strive to make our programs accessible by girls who otherwise would never have access to high-quality STEM programming: Girlstart After School is free and 37% of girls attended Girlstart Summer Camp on scholarship in 2013. Girlstart programs build the fundamental skills and knowledge in STEM—as well as the confidence and interest in STEM—that girls will need to pursue STEM courses, activities, majors, and careers. By helping girls to build strong foundations in STEM, Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges. 9
“Do Internalized Feminine Norms Depress Girls’ STEM Attitudes & Participation?” TrueChild, accessed March 27, 2013, www.truechild.org/stem. 10 “Defining Youth Outcomes for STEM Learning in Afterschool,” Afterschool Alliance, last modified January 23, 2013, http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/STEM_Outcomes_2013.pdf.
Girlstart’s Uniqueness Girlstart programs teach innovation by focusing on using creative problem-solving skills and critical thinking to address real-world challenges. By focusing on a process-driven and collaborative, rather than competitive, problem-solving model, Girlstart programs emphasize the ideas that anyone and everyone can be an innovator, and that failure on the first try isn’t necessarily ‘failure’. All Girlstart lessons are inquiry-based and teach girls to use either the scientific method or the engineering design process (brainstorm/create/test/refine) to solve challenges. By using these techniques, Girlstart teaches trial and error as a necessary part of both general problem solving and STEM, and encourages girls to design creative and unique solutions, often in collaboration with others. We also focus on the importance of brainstorming or mind-mapping in generating numerous and creative ideas, and on using both new and existing tools and technologies in new ways in order to solve new problems. Through the constantly changing suite of hands-on, informal, collaborative STEM problemsolving lessons used in our programs, Girlstart embraces the spirit of innovation. Our programs emphasize using existing and emergent technologies in new ways to solve problems— especially those technologies that are free, open-source, or low-cost. By using such technologies, our programs provide high-need girls with access to a suite of advanced tools to use as they unleash their imaginations, their creativity, and their own innovative ideas. Moreover, we choose these tools, rather than high-priced or proprietary tools, so that girls can continue to use them outside of our programs. Girlstart’s flexible staffing model also contributes to the success and uniqueness of our programs. Through the STEM CREW internship program, pre-service teachers gain valuable training, experience, and access to a suite of STEM teaching resources as they lead Girlstart programs. At the same time, they act as mentors and role models for program participants, encouraging and inspiring younger girls to persist in STEM. By fostering (guided) discovery and taking risks based on real problems, girls’ critical thinking and problem solving is directly connected with their life and the lives of others. By solving problems as they appear in the world, girls see how STEM is important to making a difference in their community or in the world. That is what is unique about Girlstart. Recent Accom plishm ents Girlstart has been working hard to share information about our programs, our method/pedagogy, and our program outcomes with the informal STEM education community both locally and nationally. Our programs have received the following national recognition:
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In October 2013, Girlstart Summer Camp was recognized by Change the Equation as one of four “exemplary” and “highly scalable” innovative STEM education programs in the United States.11
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In July 2012, Girlstart After School and Girlstart Summer Camp were individually recognized as effective informal STEM programs by Change the Equation in its ‘STEMWorks’ database. Girlstart is the only organization in the database (currently ~40 programs) to have two programs included as part of STEMWorks.12
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In spring 2012, Girlstart’s programs were highlighted extensively in a Booz Allen Hamilton study conducted for NASA’s Summer of Innovation program. The study identified best practices in providing out-of-school time STEM programming to at-risk 4th-9th grade students. Girlstart was one of 13 organizations in the U.S. highlighted in the report and many of the best practices established therein were informed by Girlstart.13
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A study by SEDL found that Girlstart’s After School program is the most robust STEM program for girls in the U.S. Girlstart After School is one of only two full-year, researchand standards-based STEM education programs for girls—and our programs have the widest reach.14
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The After School Alliance included Girlstart in its inaugural pilot program for a new STEM After School resource. They reviewed Girlstart After School as one of less than five effective STEM education programs throughout the United States, and included our program in their STEM Afterschool Storybook.15
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The After School Alliance reviewed Girlstart After School as one of less than five effective STEM education programs throughout the United States. They featured Girlstart’s Project IT Girl program in a report highlighting strong out-of-school time (OST) STEM programs, particularly commending our strong program outcomes: 87% of the program participants entered a 4-year university, with 80% of them pursuing STEM majors and careers.16
“STEMworks: Ready to Scale.” “STEMworks Database,” Change the Equation, accessed January 24, 2014, http://changetheequation.org/improvingphilanthropy/stemworks. 13 “NASA Summer of Innovation: Excellence in Summer Learning Best Practices and Benchmarking Study,” Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., (Booz Allen Hamilton, 2012). 14 Lisa Raphael, et al., “Summary of Girlstart After School Program Features in Comparison With Other Programs,” (Austin: SEDL, 2011). 15 “STEM Storybook,” Afterschool Alliance, accessed January 24, 2014, http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/STEMSTORYBOOK.CFM. 16 “STEM Learning in Afterschool: An Analysis of Impact & Outcomes,” Afterschool Alliance (Afterschool Alliance, 2011). 12
M icro Scope: Girlstart After School Girlstart After School is an intensive intervention where we provide free STEM education programs every week throughout the school year at our partner schools, as well as wraparound services to support STEM in each partner school. Girlstart After School involves sequential, informal, hands-on and inquiry-based activities across the STEM acronym. Our consistent positive outcomes show that our programs improve girls’ achievement in STEM subjects and foster interest in STEM electives, majors, and careers. Girlstart After School represents more than 50 hours of intervention throughout the school year. Girlstart After School directly reaches girls, but also supports parents, teachers, and whole-school communities, and includes: • • •
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A club of 20+ girls meet weekly for an hour of hands-on, informal STEM after school programs—aligned with state and national standards—at each school. Our internship program—the STEM CREW—prepares and trains aspirant, pre- service teachers to lead our after school programs in schools. Parent association meetings teach parents about STEM and why their daughters should continue pursuing STEM electives. Multi-lingual newsletters share our news with parents and school communities. End of semester Showcases of activities and lessons. Support to science / math nights at each school. Pedagogic, curricular, and strategic support to STEM teaching efforts at partner schools.
We currently reach 1,000+ girls every week throughout the school year with Girlstart After School at 45 schools across Texas, including Girlstart After School ‘to Go’ programs in McAllen, San Antonio, Waco, and the Dallas area. In fall 2013, Girlstart After School reached 918 4th-8th grade girls through 43 after school programs in 41 schools. Girlstart After School is the largest program of its type in the nation. We are also diverse: 63% of the girls in Girlstart After School are Latina; 17% white; 12% are African-American; 4% are Asian/Pacific Islander; and 4% multiethnic. 70% of the girls we reach are considered economically disadvantaged, meaning that they receive free or reduced price lunch at school. Girlstart After School is designed to build participants’ skills, knowledge, confidence, and interest in STEM topics, activities, courses, and careers. To assess our programs’ efficacy, Girlstart uses a system of surveys, developed in partnership with SEDL, which are administered by program leaders at the beginning and end of each semester. These surveys test the growth of girls’ knowledge and skills, and also provide an opportunity for girls to self-report their attitudes toward Girlstart and toward STEM in general. Goals, outputs, and anticipated outcomes for Girlstart After School are:
Goal #1: Participants will demonstrate competency in conducting scientific inquiry, investigations and reasoning and will gain competency in STEM skills. • Outputs: 100% of participants engage in activities that foster reasoning and scientific investigation skills while building STEM skills acquisition. • Outcomes: 75% of all participants demonstrate competence in scientific investigations and reasoning; 80% of participants will report confidence in solving problems; and 80% of participants report enjoying STEM activities. Goal #2: Increase # of girls interested in continued/future STEM study (in high school and college), including interest in STEM electives, additional STEM study, STEM higher education, and STEM majors. • Outputs: Girlstart activities will include a college/career component in the lesson. 100% of partner schools will be invited to have students attend the Girls in STEM (GIS) Conference. • Outcomes: 75% of girls will report interest in doing more STEM activities; 75% of participants believe that doing well in STEM in school means that they are more likely to get into college. Goal #3: Increase # of girls interested in STEM careers. • Outputs: Girlstart activities will include a college/career component in the lesson. 100% of partner schools will be invited to have students attend Girls in STEM (GIS) Conference. • Outcomes: 75% will report increased awareness of STEM careers; 80% of participants will believe that doing well in STEM in college can lead to a better career; and 65% of participants will express a desire to have a STEM-related career. Since its implementation in 1998, Girlstart After School has achieved consistent positive results, owing to the consistency, rigor, and length of the program. Results of our most recent program evaluation (fall 2013) include: Goal #1: Participants will demonstrate competency in conducting scientific inquiry, investigations and reasoning and will gain competency in STEM skills. • 95% of participants demonstrated competence in using the scientific method and engineering design process to solve problems. • 86% reported a willingness to redesign their activity if it did not work on the first try (demonstrates confidence in solving problems). • 88% agreed with the statement, “I like science!” Goal #2: Increase # of girls interested in continued/future STEM study (in high school and college), including interest in STEM electives, additional STEM study, STEM higher education, and STEM majors. • 89% of participants report using science outside of Girlstart. • 90% agree that, “if I try hard, I can be good at science.”
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89% want to return to Girlstart next semester. 83% report interest in taking more STEM courses in middle & high school. 93% understand that doing well in STEM in school means that they are more likely to get into college. 95% report intent to go to college (we find this especially gratifying given that 55% of last year’s participants were first-generation college aspirants).
Goal #3: Increase # of girls interested in STEM careers. • 94% of participants understand that doing well in STEM in college can lead to a better job. • 96% understand that higher education can lead to increased career opportunities. • 68% report a strong desire to pursue a STEM career (92% report at least a moderate interest in a STEM career). Additionally: • 83% of participants strongly agree with the statement, “I feel that I can be myself at Girlstart After School.” • 91% of participants tell their friends and families about what they learn at Girlstart. Girlstart is also conducting a longitudinal study to assess the long-term impact of Girlstart After School participation on girls’ academic progress, course selection, graduation rates, and college enrollment. Although this study is still in its early stages (the oldest participants were in 7th grade in 2010-11), we are confident that findings will be positive; preliminary results show that Girlstart participants score, on average, 8% higher than their same-school peers on state mandated math and science tests. Additional findings from this study will be available in summer 2014. M icro Scope: Girlstart Sum mer Cam p Girlstart Summer Camps are week-long STEM programs for girls in the 4th-8th grades, an intensive research-and standards-based summer program that is also recognized by Change the Equation as one of only four programs in America that is “exemplary” and “ready to scale”. These programs achieve consistent positive outcomes by combining formal and informal educational strategies with challenging and relevant STEM curriculum. Girlstart Summer Camp provides individualized experiences that develop a strong conceptual understanding of STEM subjects and increase participants’ interest in STEM activities and careers. In 2013, Girlstart reached 586 girls (22 camps in in 9 different locations) with Summer Camp programming, 37% who participated on full scholarship thanks to generous people like you who care about summer STEM enrichment for girls. Girlstart Summer Camp is rigorous, intensive, and age appropriate at the same time it is fun, informal, and collaborative. Each week, Summer Camp participants engage in 40 hours of challenging content balanced with informal learning experiences, time for reflection, and
opportunities to share their thoughts and ideas. Through their experience at Girlstart, participants develop an increased interest in STEM subjects and careers through real-world experiences in subject areas such as video game design and computer programming, industrial design and engineering, robotics, physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, oceanography, digital media production, and website design. In 2013, 7% of Girlstart Summer Camp participants were African-American; 12% were AsianAmerican or Pacific Islander; 50% were white; 26% were Latina/ Hispanic, and 5% identified as multiethnic. In order to provide engaging, high-quality summer STEM learning experiences to girls who may not otherwise be able to participate in Girlstart Summer Camps, Girlstart now brings our Camps ‘to Go’ to high-need communities across Texas and in other states. All Camps ‘to Go’ are free to participants. In addition to designing our own curricula, Girlstart focuses on building innovative activities by using vanguard tools and strategies with which to develop unique and content rich curriculum, including: • • •
Start to finish video game development (CS; coding and programming): 393 girls programmed playable video games in summer 2013. Start to finish 3D, using Google Sketchup and a choice of two 3D printers (productive and reductive): 195 girls designed and printed in 3D in summer 2013. App development & computer animation (CS; coding and programming): 196 girls created mobile apps and 111 girls programmed computer animations in summer 2013.
In summer 2013, Girlstart offered 14 camps at the Girlstart STEM Center in Austin, TX, as well as 8 Summer Camps ‘to Go’ in other Texas locations and states (California and Washington). Girlstart offered the following camps at the Girlstart STEM Center and other locations: June 10-14:
Under the Sea (4th-5th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Girlstart Games (6th-8th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center
June 17-21:
Under the Sea (4th-5th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Girlstart Games (6th-8th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Under the Sea (4th - 5th) at Ralph Pfluger Elementary, Buda, TX Under the Sea (4th - 5th) at Columbia Neighborhood Ctr, Sunnyvale, CA
June 24-28:
Under the Sea (4th-5th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Girlstart Games (6th-8th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Under the Sea (4th - 5th) at Hemphill Elementary, Kyle, TX Under the Sea (4th - 5th) at Columbia Neighborhood Ctr, Sunnyvale, CA
July 8-12:
Toy Shop Mystery (4th-5th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Boutique Detective (6th-8th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center
Under the Sea (4th - 5th) at Windcrest Elementary, San Antonio July 15-19:
Toy Shop Mystery (4th-5th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Boutique Detective (6th-8th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center
July 22-26:
Eco-Girl (4th-5th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Eco-Girl (6th-8th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Under the Sea (4th-5th grades) at Taylor, Texas
July 29-August 2:
Eco-Girl (4th-5th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Eco-Girl (6th-8th grades) at Girlstart STEM Center Under the Sea (4th - 5th) at Erma Nash Elementary, Mansfield ISD (DFW)
August 5 – Aug 9:
Under the Sea (4th - 5th) at Boys & Girls Club in Bellevue, WA
Summer 2013 Camp Themes and Scope of Activities Although an OST program, Girlstart’s programs are aligned with state and national learning standards. Although Texas does not subscribe to the Common Core, Girlstart aligns all of its activities both with Texas learning standards as well as Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards. 2013’s camps were: Under the Sea In Under the Sea, girls learned about the oceans and the multitude of ways that STEM careers and activities impact the earth’s vital resource. They explored marine biology, the electromagnetic spectrum, oil spill cleanup, engineered protection for baby turtles, and dissected starfish. In addition to programming robots to solve an oil spill challenge, girls designed their own video game using Girlstart’s technology toolbox. Girlstart used the “Under the Sea” theme for all Camps ‘to Go’ in 2013. Girlstart Games In our Girlstart Games camp, girls mastered skills and principles in engineering, biology, botany, physics, chemistry, and sensors. They engineered survival shelters, learned to identify edible & poisonous plants, and tested principles of physics and aerodynamics while practicing their marksmanship. Girls designed and printed a 3D tribute badge using Google Sketchup and Girlstart’s 3D printers, and programmed an Android app using AppInventor. Toy Shop Mystery (4th-5th) and Boutique Detective (6th-8th) Girls solved a week-long mystery as well as daily challenges in forensics. Forensicsbased lessons included cryptography, fiber and hair investigations, and footprint/soil/tire track analysis. Each day, the morning’s forensic puzzle posed an engineering challenge for the afternoon, including prototyping, robotics, and lean
manufacturing. Thematic technology activities also introduced girls to computer programming and engineering. All participants created a video game (using our game development toolbox), storyboarded and animated a commercial that promoted their toy prototype, and all girls designed and printed in 3D. Eco Girl At Eco Girl, girls learned about ways to go green as well as green careers as they explored creative lessons designed to introduce ecological engineering concepts and skills. Girls not only met with environmental engineers throughout the week, but they learned about channeling the power of the earth to generate energy as well as strategies to proactively solve global problems, and designed their own green energy solutions. Girls built solar cars, designed solar homes, and built buildings with rooftop gardens. Girls also programmed a game using our game development toolbox, and developed an Android app using AppInventor. Girlstart Summer Camp ‘To Go’ Since 2010, Girlstart has demonstrated that our programs can address the national STEM crisis on a larger scale by offering more Summer Camps in more locations to serve more girls. 2013 was our fourth summer offering these Camps ‘to Go,’ and they continued to achieve the same positive outcomes we expect from our Austin-area Camps. By the close of the summer in 2013, we successfully delivered Summer Camps in high-need locations in San Antonio, Kyle, and Buda, Texas and two other states (California and Washington). This ‘To Go’ expansion makes it possible for Girlstart to bring our high-quality STEM programming to community organizations (such as Boys and Girls Clubs) that serve a high-need population but do not have many STEM resources at their disposal. Because these programs are designed to reach girls who otherwise might never have access to this kind of programming, all camps ‘to Go’ are offered to girls at no cost. The goals, outputs, and projected outcomes of Girlstart Summer Camps are: Goal #1: Participants will demonstrate competency in scientific inquiry, investigations and reasoning and will gain competency in STEM skills. • Outputs: 100% of participants engage in activities that foster reasoning and scientific investigation skills while building STEM skills acquisition. • Outcomes: 75% of all participants demonstrate competence in scientific investigations and reasoning; 80% of participants will report confidence in solving problems; and 80% of participants report enjoying STEM activities. Goal #2: Increase # of girls interested in continued/future STEM study (in high school and college), including interest in STEM electives, additional STEM study, STEM higher education, and STEM majors.
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Outputs: Girlstart activities will include a college/career component in the lesson. 100% of partner schools will be invited to have students attend the Girls in STEM (GIS) Conference. Outcomes: 75% of girls will report interest in doing more STEM activities; 75% of participants believe that doing well in STEM in school means that they are more likely to get into college.
Goal #3: Increase # of girls interested in STEM careers. • Outputs: Girlstart activities will include a college/career component in the lesson. 100% of partner schools will be invited to have students attend Girls in STEM (GIS) Conference • Outcomes: 75% will report increased awareness of STEM careers; 80% of participants will believe that doing well in STEM in college can lead to a better career; and 65% of participants will express a desire to have a STEM-related career. 2013’s progress against desired goals include: Goal #1: Participants will demonstrate competency in conducting scientific inquiry, investigations and reasoning and will gain competency in STEM skills. • • • •
93% of participants demonstrated acumen in conducting scientific investigations and reasoning (using the scientific method and the engineering design process effectively). 98% of participants reported confidence in using engineering design process and 98% of participants reported confidence in using the scientific method. 93% of girls know what ‘STEM’ stands for. For Summer Camp ‘to Go’, 88% demonstrated facility in an open-ended question that asked girls to demonstrate their understanding of the process. On the pre-survey, only 25% of girls reported strong confidence in using the engineering design process, yet on the post-survey, 61% reported the same. At the program’s end, 86% of Summer Camp ‘to Go’ girls reported knowing what ‘STEM’ stands for, compared to only 65% on the pre-survey.
Goal 2: Increase # girls interested in selecting STEM at HS/college. • • •
92% of participants hope to take more STEM classes in high school. 96% of participants understand that success in STEM courses can help them achieve college enrollment. 99% of participants plan to attend college when they grow up.
Goal 3: Increase # of girls interested and confident in STEM. • •
89% indicated interest in science. 95% indicated that “if I try hard, I can be good at science.”
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88% reported that “I feel I can be myself at Girlstart camp.”
Goal 4: Increase # of girls interested in pursuing STEM careers. •
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75% of participants expressed at least a moderate interest in entering a STEM career. For Summer Camp ‘to Go’, just 30% of girls expressed strong interest on the presurvey, yet on the post, 45% of them expressed strong interest. 95% of participants demonstrated awareness of the importance of higher education as a way to broaden their career options.
Additionally, computer science outcomes include: • 92% expressed an interest in programming additional video games or apps, and 79% say that they think developing games or apps would be a fun career. • 98% reported that it was fun to program a video game or app in Summer Camp. M icro Scope: Girls in STEM Conference Girlstart offers the Girls in STEM Conference annually to 4th-8th graders in Central Texas. The program, which takes place at the UT-Austin University Teaching Center, includes a day-long progression of workshops where girls participate in hands-on activities led by women who work in STEM careers. The conference is designed to introduce girls to female role models in STEM who will inspire and encourage them to consider and pursue STEM careers. 2013’s results include: • 576 4th-8th grade girls from across Central Texas attended the program. • Girlstart awarded 433 need-based scholarships to attendees (75%). • 95 professionals served as volunteer presenters or co-presenters, leading hands-on activities in STEM fields. • 150+ community, corporate, and student volunteers contributed over 500 volunteer hours. In a post-event survey, girls shared the following feedback about their experience: • 95% of participants demonstrated increased awareness of importance of higher education as a way to broaden their career options; 97% understand that doing well at STEM in school means that they will be more likely to enter college; and 98% reported intent to attend college; • 89% of participants demonstrated increased awareness of STEM careers; • 89% of girls expressed interest in taking more STEM classes and electives; • 89% of participants reported that Girls in STEM made them MORE interested in STEM careers; 100% of girls were able to reflect on at least one new career they learned about at Girls in STEM; and 81% of participants reported specific intent to enter a STEM career; • 91% of participants demonstrated interest in doing more STEM activities in the future.
M icro Scope: Comm unity STEM Education As a community outreach service, Girlstart provides free, family-friendly Community STEM programming that involves hands-on STEM learning activities for thousands of Central Texas girls, families, and community members each year. By offering a wide variety of free programming at many sites throughout the community, we are able to reach a broad crosssection of our population. In addition to introducing children to the fun of STEM learning, Community STEM Education is designed to make STEM accessible to community members from all walks of life, to educate parents about the importance of STEM, and to educate the public about gender inequity in STEM fields. Girlstart’s Community STEM programs introduce participants to a variety of hands-on activities in robotics, mechanical engineering, webpage design, biology, medicine, forensic science, chemistry, and more STEM Saturday Workshops: Girlstart offers STEM Saturday Workshops at our Girlstart STEM Center and at partner schools throughout Central Texas. These hands-on learning experiences foster 1st through 8th grade girls’ interest and confidence in STEM by immersing girls in dynamic, hands-on activities and introducing them to positive female role-models in these areas. Workshops are led by female role models in a welcoming, all-girl environment. Community Science Extravaganzas: Science Extravaganzas are traveling science events in diverse neighborhoods that reach hundreds of girls and families. Each Extravaganza offers 10-12 booths with dynamic, hands-on science and technology activities surrounding a common theme (eg Starry Science, Weather Fest). DeSTEMber: Girlstart’s online DeSTEMber initiative is designed to keep children engaged in STEM learning during the winter school holidays by providing a free activity for each day of the month of December. Activities and experiments are gender-neutral and low-cost, and can be done using materials many families have at home. DeSTEMber also engages students through numerous Google Hangouts with STEM professionals from partner institutions worldwide (past partners have included the San Diego Zoo, CERN, and National Geographic). The DeSTEMber website also features a suite of support materials that enable teachers to use DeSTEMber activities in their classrooms. Community STEM Outreach: Girlstart conducts extensive outreach activities designed to introduce informal STEM topics and learning to our community. These Community STEM Outreach activities take the form of our traveling StarLab program or use of our on-site STEM Studio and Mini-Planetarium (‘Starry Nights’), assistance to schools with their science and/or math nights, and STEM activities at community booths and events.
M icro Scope: The STEM CREW In order to effectively support Girlstart program delivery and scale-up, Girlstart has developed and formalized a training program for part-time staff. Our STEM CREW internship and teacher preparation program trains and supports a cadre of Girlstart interns who are pre-service teachers either in the University of Texas UTeach program, or other colleges of education. We prepare these future teachers for effective STEM teaching by providing them with the pedagogical and practical skills they will need to engage students in STEM. At the same time, the STEM CREW lead all Girlstart programs, providing consistency to our program delivery. Internship program elements also nurture a personal framework that fosters our interns’ future development and growth as teachers. Across Texas and nationwide, public schools have an urgent need for high-quality math and science teachers. Yet many pre-service teachers lack the skills and confidence to teach STEM subjects effectively. STEM CREW training provides these educators with a suite of STEM teaching resources, in-depth training, and hands-on experience in a broad range of teaching environments. In 2013, Girlstart implemented a rigorous training program for the STEM CREW, which involves more than 100 hours of training and classroom time each semester. We recruited and trained 62 individual STEM CREW members in 2013—and many STEM CREW return to Girlstart semester after semester. “Girlstart Essentials” training for STEM CREW includes numerous seminars on topics including: • Why Girlstart exists, what we do, and how we do it; • How informal STEM education programs are different in implementation from formal/traditional classroom teaching; and • Classroom management and behavior strategies, particularly in an informal environment (i.e. Girlstart programs should be loud as girls experiment, engage, and interact within the lessons). Interns submit weekly reports to the After School Coordinator and receive constant coaching and mentoring from staff. First year interns are also paired with a veteran STEM CREW member in a ‘Big and Little’ program that is designed to promote peer coaching and teamwork. Interns are surveyed and interviewed about their experience at various points throughout the year; they also develop biannual newsletter ‘articles’ about the girls’ experiences at each of their campus assignments. When surveyed in Fall 2012 and Spring 2013, we found that every single intern participant (100%) reported feeling more confident teaching STEM subjects after working as a member of the STEM CREW, that their experience at Girlstart will help them in future jobs, and that their work with the STEM CREW will make them better teachers. As Girlstart refines and strengthens our internship program, we build a pipeline of eligible after school teaching staff who can
effectively deliver our programs and who, likewise, receive outstanding mentorship and handson training in effective informal STEM education strategies. M icro Scope: Teacher Professional Development To further address the need for high-quality math and science teachers, Girlstart provides professional development services to in-service teachers at our After School partner schools and nationwide. In 2013, Girlstart provided professional development services to 749 educators. The majority of our TPD services are offered at no cost, but to bring our TPD services to a wider national audience, some training sessions take place at conferences for educators (such as at CAST and the annual NAA convention). Girlstart offers a variety of TPD topics including: • • •
Gender equity in the classroom; Bringing informal learning into the formal classroom; and, Specific curriculum such as underwater robotics, circuitry, STEM icebreakers, and DeSTEMber activities.
To make our TPD services accessible to more educators, Girlstart has updated the online suite of educator resources available through our Girlstart For Educators website. Girlstart For Educators provides free access to more than 90 hands-on DeSTEMber activities and online modules, as well as pedagogical support. This resource is also creating a strong community— more than 140 educators have joined our online community since November 2013—for teachers to share ideas, curriculum, best practices, and their wealth of STEM teaching knowledge. Through our Girlstart For Educators initiative, Girlstart aims to revitalize math and science teaching across Texas and nationwide. M icro Scope: Volunteers Girlstart relies on our community of dedicated volunteers, who help make our programs possible. Girlstart volunteers come from many sectors of the community—professionals, college students, Girlstart alumnae, and other community members—who volunteer their time and expertise to help Girlstart reach thousands of people each year with high-quality STEM programming. Volunteer highlights from 2013 include: • • •
95 STEM professionals and 150+ general volunteers brought a full day of STEM career workshops to 576 girls at our annual Girls in STEM conference. 15 STEM professionals provided mentorship to Girlstart Summer Campers through Guest Speaking and “Lunch with an Engineer.” Girlstart Alumnae volunteered a total of 514.5 hours in 2013.
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Girlstart’s all-volunteer Facilities Committee helped realize the construction of our new Science Studio and Mini-Planetarium, the first publicly accessible, permanent planetarium in Central Texas. 32 Event Committee volunteers and 19 general volunteers helped Girlstart reach 570 community members through our annual Game Changers Luncheon. More than 200 volunteers led hands-on STEM activities at 62 Community STEM Outreach events, reaching more than 10,000 community members.
Girlstart volunteers share an important role in the success of our programs. We are grateful for their support and for all the ways they help Girlstart achieve our goals. A View to 2014 Now, Girlstart is in the process of assembling the detailed workplan for the final year of its 3year strategic plan. 2014 will be a year of reflection and analysis as we consider the scope, and the framework, of our next strategic plan. In 2011, Girlstart staff and board put together an ambitious plan that defined key growth points, as well as defining the formalization and maturation of the organization’s functions, between 2012 and 2014. In almost every aspect, Girlstart has achieved, if not exceeded, the goals established in this plan. We now have some key questions to ponder as the organization puts forth another 3-year plan. Because our strategic plans are robust, living frameworks, and they are purposeful, nothing appears in the plan without careful consideration and deliberation. In 2014, as we assemble the next plan, we aim to gain the input from our stakeholders as well as national leaders in STEM (and out-ofschool time programming) so that our goals for 2015-2017 are clear and appropriate for our mission, at the same time the plan establishes the baseline for our goals as well as our aspirations for scale up. Philanthropic support has made modest scale up possible—while maintaining program fidelity—and we believe that Girlstart has the potential to grow further. Thank you for making this work possible!