Sisters4Science 2006 Report...continued
Sisters4Science Program Goals and Words from the Sisters

GOAL: Create a safe space for girls to explore science and
develop leadership skills.

A key goal of S4S is for girls to feel safe in the S4S environment so that they feel comfortable practicing their leadership skills and are confident in being more inquisitive about science. The first several sessions are used to build a sense of community and team spirit among the program participants. The girls work on developing a Code of Conduct which is used to outline behavior expectations and helps to create a shared sense of values.

Left: S4S students from Young Women’s Leadership Charter School enjoying the 6th Annual Girls’ Health and Science Day. Photo M. Joseph

Below are some responses when girls were asked why they came to S4S and if S4S had been a safe place for them to learn about science:

“Sisters4Science feels like home.”

“S4S gives me the chance to see the fun side of science.”

“Sisters4Science means learning to be yourself and being confident.”

“S4S space is a place where I can bond with new friends; it is a place for me.”

“I come to Sisters4Science to learn something new and to extend my knowledge of science.”

GOAL: Expose girls to the wide variety of roles played by women in science and the women who play them.

Left: Karis doing a chemistry experiment with Chemist Dr. Laurie Parker watching the outcome. Photo M. Joseph

The following is a list of fields of study represented by scientists who presented at the after-school sessions: chemist, pediatrician, pharmacologist, industrial engineer, mechanical engineer, computer engineer, packaging engineer, industrial engineer, chemical engineer, scientific illustrator, environmental engineer, zoologist, paleontologist, and evolutionary biologist. Eight of the women scientist presenters during the 2005-2006 school year were African American, whereas there were no African American scientists who presented at a S4S session the previous year. Continued efforts to attract a racially and professionally diverse group of scientists will strengthen Project Exploration’s ability to expose girls to a wider range of roles played by women in science.

Read how the women scientists influenced the girls’ perceptions of science and the role of women in science:

“Because I have met so many scientists, when I grow up, I may want to be one.”

“S4S showed me that I can make a difference as a woman; I am a part of something important.”

“I used to think there was only one career in science, but now I know that there are so many scientists and I would like to explore them all.”

“Sisters4Science means meeting different scientists and learning what they do.”

“I enjoyed the pediatrician because she tells young girls about birth control, safe sex, and healthy and unhealthy relationships. This is important because this information prevents pregnancy and all types of illness, and making the wrong choices. It’s about your life.”

GOALS: Help girls develop self-awareness/identity/role in society self-esteem about their thoughts, feelings, experiences and decisions.

Girls’ interests shape the curriculum.

Left: Women scientists who had lunch with students at the 2006 Girls’ Health and Science Day Photo S. Mann

During the journaling portion of each session, girls write and then read and discuss the journal entries as a group. The discussions lead to issues surrounding identity, self-awareness, self-esteem and other issues affecting the girls’ lives. These open and honest conversations are used to shape the content focus of each session.

The following quotes give insight into how the girls felt they had been influenced by S4S:

“Sisters4Science showed me that I could be anything I set my mind to.”

“Because of S4S, I can talk about science without being embarrassed or scared.”

“I used to be mean and mad and have a bad attitude, but now I am nice, funny and have a good attitude.”

GOALS: Create an alternative educational model that combines science with leadership development.

Improve girls’ overall school performance by developing goal setting, decision making and communication skills.

An annual leadership retreat encourages and challenges the girls to explore unfamiliar things and become better team players. This year’s retreat was held in November 2005 in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin and facilitated by Aurora University’s School of Experiential Leadership. Eleven girls had the opportunity to learn and practice team building and leadership skills.

The comments below illustrate what the girls took away from the retreat experience:

“What I enjoyed the most about this leadership retreat is meeting new people and learning how to be a better team player and leader.”

“I learned that when doing an experiment, try more than one idea.”

“I learned to express my ideas more because they might be good ones.”

“I learned that everywhere you go there is science, whether its food, cars, lights…”

“I learned that sometimes I’m acting like a leader, but I don’t even know it.”

Left: Shania, Maria and Jennifer working on their final projects. Photo M. Joseph

GOAL: Raise public awareness of issues facing girls’ science education.

Project Exploration’s Girls’ Health and Science Day (GHSD) is a one-day annual conference that brings together approximately 100 girls and their teachers and parents from various Chicago Public Schools to talk and learn about issues facing girls. A goal of the conference is to provide a forum for girls and the adult chaperones to talk and get medically accurate information about otherwise sensitive and uncomfortable topics such as sex and how to identify an abusive relationship. This year’s event took place on April 28 at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The adult participants attended a professional development track facilitated by Girl’s Best Friend Foundation and the Chicago Girls’ Coalition. The focus was to discuss practices and activities that support leadership and strong relationship among girls.

Read more about the Sixth Annual Girls' Health and Science Day.

The Showcase of Knowledge

At the end of every school year, Sisters4Science students have the opportunity to showcase what they have learned and taken away from their S4S experience. This year, the girls were charged with creating a final project that somehow represented their experiences in S4S and included one aspect of how science is done. The girls could work as a team or individually. Some chose to make posters using photos from the year, one student made a diorama, another student created a poem, and several students made scrapbooks. The projects were presented at the last Sisters4Science after-school session, and several parents and teachers attended the presentations.

This year’s Showcase of Knowledge was held on May 23 at the Adler Planetarium. Students, their families, teachers, scientists, Project Exploration staff and supporters were invited to come celebrate the girls’ achievements.

The highlight of the evening was the student presentations where the girls got an opportunity to share with the 60+ guests what S4S had meant to them.

Left: S4S students celebrating at the 2006 Showcase of Knowledge Photo G.Lyon

S4S on the Horizon

The 2006-2007 program year of Sisters4Science will be another exciting period of learning and exploration. In addition to sustaining our partnerships with Young Women’s Leadership Charter School, Barbara Sizemore Academy and Nettelhorst School, we plan on running a full-year of programming at our fourth partner school, Perspectives Charter School. Our intent is to expand to other partner schools as our capacity increases.

The new program year will be an equally exciting time for our Women in Science initiative. We will continue to reach out to our existing pool of women scientists and continue to recruit new scientists into our growing network. We plan to host a strategic planning session for key scientists and students to begin developing the framework of a formalized relationship with our Women in Science. Ultimately we will provide training to the scientists on working with minority girls and classroom management skills. We will continue to expand and improve our Women in Science luncheon so that the student time spent with the scientists is informative and engaging. We will also continue to develop a summer field component that will provide girls with immersive field experiences.

For more information about Sisters4Science, please contact Kristin Atman, Manager of Science Programs, at 773.834.7662 or at katman@projectexploration.org