Many CAP teams held conferences, workshops, and fairs to expose girls in their community to college in general, STEM fields, nontraditional careers, pay negotiation, and financial planning. The following are a few examples of such programming.
Girls CAN! Bradley University, IL, 2009
Through four hands-on events held throughout the spring and mentored by female undergraduate students and faculty, the CAP team at Bradley University worked to raise the awareness of 50 African American girls from low-income households in the 4th grade about STEM. The first event provided hands-on stations across a variety of STEM disciplines including Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering and Physics, and concluded with a chemical demonstration show performed by female students in Bradley's Chemistry Club.The second event was a STEM Job Fair where 10 local female STEM professionals showcased their fields, including career opportunities and demonstrations. The third event involved mock interviews administered by undergraduate STEM students. For this event the girls were asked to match their talents and interests with their dream career in STEM. Further opportunities to explore more hands-on activities in science and math were available to the students while they waited to be interviewed. For the fourth and final session of the program the CAP team partnered with a local non-profit organization, METEC, to hold a Pay Day event which allowed the girls to learn about pay equality, money management, and how career choices impact quality of life.
Girls Personal Development Summit for 8th Graders, University of West Florida, 2009
On April 17, 2009, the University of West Florida CAP Team and over 25 volunteers hosted 200 8th grade girls from five area middle schools for "Girls Rock: A Personal Development Summit for 8th Grade Girls."
Transportation was provided from the schools to the campus. The girls were greeted by UWF women from several student organizations and each girl received a goodie bag with UWF information, a personal development journal, and a bright green t-shirt. After the welcoming session, the girls attended three information sessions: "What do I want to be when I grow up?"; "STEM'ing your Future"; and "Taking Care of Me." These sessions were planned and presented by UWF faculty, administrators, and students. Following each session, student volunteers lead discussions and encouraged the girls to answer the questions in the Girls Rock journal. The Journal also included tips on preparing for high school and thinking about college. It was our hope that the girls will use the journals as they prepare for their futures. Extra copies of the journals were sent to the schools and provided to the teachers as resource materials. The day ended with a picnic lunch at University Park.
ISU: Women's Leadership Summit, Idaho State University, 2009
The CAP team at Idaho State University held a Women’s Leadership Summit from May 22 to 23, on their campus. Fifty female high school juniors from rural Southeast Idaho, including several girls from a nearby Native American reservation, attended and learned about pursuing leadership roles within their communities, college preparation and readiness, and STEM literacy and awareness. The conference organizers' goals were to increase the number of young women who are actively involved in community leadership and enrolled in college.
The conference opened the morning of May 22 with registration and an informal welcome reception. The afternoon was filled with icebreakers and team-building activities. The young women were able to tour the campus and stay overnight in the dorms. On the second day, they attended breakout sessions on topics like college readiness and career counseling. The keynote speaker was a leading businesswoman in the community and then the conference ended with a banquet.
Girls Play Fair by Bucknell University, 2008
The CAP team at Bucknell University held several events to promote women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) and to raise awareness on campus about equal pay.
Their largest event was a "Girls Play Fair" conference for girls aged 9-12 and their parents/guardians. A speaker opened the event with a presentation on the history of women in science and technology and then the 35 participating girls rotated through five stations, where several female university STEM majors led the girls through an activity related to their major. Activities included making ice cream with liquid nitrogen at the chemistry station; mimicking computer programming at the computer science station; experimenting with the different lubricants at the mechanical engineering station; applying basic genetics to create candy "creatures" at the biology station; and making circuits to perform various functions, such as ringing bells, at the electrical engineering station. At each station, students received a certain number of chocolate coins. After a brief tutorial on wage negotiation, they used these coins to negotiate for science-related prizes. Here is one of the event evaluations.
A month later the CAP team held a follow up event with the same group of girls called "Evening with the Mythbusters." The event was a prelude to a presentation by Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, the co-hosts of the Discovery Channel show "Mythbusters." At the event, girls were paired with STEM majors at the university and they did experiments and played games to learn scientific terminology. Each girl received her own Mythbusters goody bag containing items that were used in Mythbusters experiments. They were also given a portfolio of science related worksheets and at-home experiments, such as making invisible ink, collecting fingerprints, and putting a pin through a balloon. Then the girls attended the Mythbusters lecture with their STEM "buddy."
CSI: Careers, Salary, and Inspiration Conference by Rogue Community College, 2008
The Rogue Community College CAP team sponsored an Equal Pay Day and Beyond Conference for high school and college students called C.S.I.: Careers, Salary, Inspiration. Students interested in majors and careers in science, technology, engineering, and math were particularly targeted to attend. The conference included a keynote speaker who offered strategies for success in career and education planning, a presentation by the Medford Police Department Forensics division, and a series of workshops on topics like science exploration, fun with electronics, and career exploration. The conference was attended by about 150 people. The CAP team also created a companion website: http://www.roguecc.edu/csi/ with pay gap information.
How to be Ms. Independent by College of Staten Island, 2007
Raising awareness about the pay gap between college-educated men and women and to mentor young women in money skills and financial planning were the event goals for the CAP team from the College of Staten Island.
First, the CAP team held four workshops at a limited secure girls' facility run by the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, which houses girls ages 13-17 who have been placed there as a result of a family court case. The four workshops covered the following topics: financial planning, economic independence, balancing wants and needs, and non-traditional employment opportunities. The CAP team also purchased books about dealing with difficult situations and financial planning for the girls at the facility to read.
Second, the CAP team held several events on their campus for Equal Pay Day 2007. There was an Equal Pay Day Resource Fair that included several panels, such as one featuring successful women who offered financial and career advice to students and another one about careers in women's advocacy. At the end of the day, there was an "Equal Pay Day Poetry Slam" that featured student performers and feminist poets.
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