June 2014   

In This Issue       Collaborative Network Activities FabFems Spotlight Upcoming STEM Events Leadership Team Spotlight Resources Global Resources - Quick Links     Enewsletter Archive NGCP Website NGCP Facebook NGCP Twitter NGCP Blog FabFems

NGCP Updates: - Creating Equitable Science Learning Experiences and the Importance of Publishing Student Research. Brenda Britsch and Karen Peterson, Principal Investigators of the National Girls Collaborative Project, recently published the article, Creating Equitable Science Learning Experiences and the Importance of Publishing Student Research in The Journal of Experimental Secondary Science. In the article they make the case that by making STEM relevant, connected to the future, and helping students see themselves as someone who does science can be a powerful way to move toward a more equitable science learning environment.

Register (Adults)

Register (Students) 

NGCP Collaborative Mini-Grants
NGCP mini-grants are designed to enhance access to and build collaboration between programs and resources. Mini-grant application resources, including a sample application, exemplary practices, project ideas, and frequently asked questions are available online. Open and closing dates are listed below and more information is available on the Collaborative website.
            Connecticut Girls Collaborative Project:  May 15, 2014 - June 20, 2014.

This month we feature Nimisha Ghosh Roy, Program Manager at the EdLab Group. She was nominated for this spotlight because of her dedication and passion for facilitating collaboration among girl-serving STEM organizations in the Pacific Northwest and connecting girls to role models. Her ability to plan well-organized, thoughtful, engaging, and fun events contributes to the success of the Pacific Northwest Girls Collaborative Project (PNWGCP).

 

Nimisha Ghosh Roy

What excites you most about the work you do every day?  

Every day is a new opportunity to make a connection with a new partner, ally, and collaborator. As a PNWGCP team member I meet new people doing great work in our community. My role leads me to learn about new projects and innovative resources that people are working on, and it inspires me to improve my own work. As I connect with more advocates for girls in STEM I am further inspired to build deeper connections throughout the PNWGCP to achieve our collaborative mission.

 

What drew you to participate in the PNWGCP in a leadership capacity? I was born in Seattle, WA. This is where I got my first job, my first internship, and my college degree. This is where I developed my love of science, particularly of the natural world. It is where my immediate family lives. It's no understatement to say that my home and my roots are here. So, when the opportunity to lead the PNWGCP came up, it was a no-brainer. I'm deeply connected to so many communities here, especially communities of youth and underserved populations, and any opportunity to improve access to quality STEM programs in our region is an opportunity that I had to take.

 

Which NGCP resources do you find most valuable? The people and the research. The individuals that make up the national network of Collaboratives are an INVALUABLE resource. The collective wisdom, experience, and passion drives our work forward and gets us closer to our goals every day. In addition to the people, I find the extensive body of research around the impact of the collaborative model, as well as on gender equity in STEM, crucial to our work. This body of data is vital, not only to document the need for the work we do, but also to provide us with the ability to measure our impact.

 

How has being involved in NGCP impacted your work? My views have expanded greatly on the important role of collaboration in achieving common goals. I've worked with many partners on projects before (and have gone on to achieve success) but before joining NGCP I had never thought as deeply as I now do, about the role of collaboration in actually achieving those goals. The explicit way that NGCP models and teaches collaboration has helped to transform the ways in which I work with partners. Being involved with NGCP has brought to the forefront of my mind the importance of building successfully relationships first, before digging into the work. And time and time again I have seen this lead to great success throughout our national collaborative network, as well as here locally in the PNWGCP.

 

Who are your role models? I am so fortunate to have had many role models in my life when growing up, at home and at school. Key teachers and educators stand out as role models throughout my education. And in my community, countless adults inspired me in numerous ways. I am blessed to have many role models surrounding me still today. Working with the FabFems Project constantly reminds me that our world is abundant with strong female STEM role models, and each FabFem that I interact with deeply inspires me in my work.

For Girls in Science

�ForGirlsInScience.org is a website designed to be a fun place where science doesn't intimidate, but inspires and empowers girls of all ages to pursue their career goals in STEM. The website features a list of national summer and weekend STEM camps for girls.

 

Girls in IT - The Facts

The National Center for Women Information Techonolgy's Girls in IT: The Facts is a synthesis of the existing literature on increasing girls' participation in computing. It aims to bring together this latest research so that readers can gain a clearer and more coherent picture of the current state of affairs for girls in computing, the key barriers to increasing girls' participation in these fields, and promising practices for addressing these barriers.

 

Northwest Missouri State University Online Workshop Series 

Northwest Missouri State University is offering a free, online workshop series, "The Awesome Scratch, Snap! & App Inventor Online Workshop Spectacular!" to help educators teach students cool technologies.  

 

Spectrum Video Resources

Encourage more girls of color to pursue science careers by introducing them to women of color scientists. The Spectrum Program at San Francisco State University has developed two video collections highlighting women of color role models who are biomedical scientists.

 

Teaching NGSS Engineering Design through Media

WGBH, in partnership with the Raytheon company, has launched a new collection on PBS LearningMedia. The collection features media-rich tools such as videos, interactives, and lesson plans to support K-12 educators' understanding of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).

NGCP Program Directory: Search for Collaborating Programs or Register Your Program! The online Program Directory highlights programs that focus on motivating girls to pursue STEM careers. The purpose of the directory is to help organizations and individuals network, share resources, and collaborate on STEM-related projects for girls.

The EdLab Group is a private, non-profit organization with funding from federal and state governments, private foundations, corporations, and individuals. Our mission is to leverage the power of technology and diversity to transform teaching and learning.