See It: The Community being helped

Even in the year 2007, women earn only $.77 to the dollar compared to their male counterparts and are underrepresented in many science fields. As a part of one agencies efforts to close this gap (Expanding Your Horizons), I want to create a youth-led project, Expanding Your Horizons for Teens Girls. This project is created for girls and entirely run by young women in partnership with several local middle schools and it aims to serve junior high school girls (ages 11-14) by exposing them to careers in mathematic and scientific fields. Through a small series of fun hands-on activities addressing various branches of math and science (e.g. anatomy, engineering, and forensic science) we hope to further their interest in these careers. Examples of these activities include a “Build Your Own Spectroscope”, “Do It As the Romans: Construct Your Own Aqueduct,” and even a “Who Done It? Murder Mystery”. Participants in this program are very eager and curious learners who want to immerse themselves in areas which are often closed to females. This program is an effort to eradicate the gender-equity issue that still persists in today’s society. Through involvement in this program, we hope that young girls will be more empowered and pursue math and science opportunities that have been generally dominated by men and become strong female leaders who will be role models for the next succession of young girls. No young girl should ever feel that she can't do what she wants to do at the expense of an antiquated stereotype. Once these girls become economically self-sufficient and feel better about their futures, they in turn will pay it forward by being able to help others who are less advantaged.