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Welcome to the
August 2008
"Back-to-School"
edition of the Texas
Girls Collaborative
Project
(TxGCP) eNewsletter.
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TxGCP News:
Regional Fall Forums
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The
Texas Girls
Collaborative
Project will be
hosting Regional
Fall Forums this
October and November
around Texas.
Forums will have two
components:
1) Networking and
Information Sharing
(1.5 hour): Connect
with others in your
area, explore
collaborations, and
share information to
enhance your STEM
efforts.
2) Assessment
Workshop (1.5 hour):
Enhance and measure
the effectiveness
of programs
targeting
pre-college and
undergraduate women
and men.
Forums are being
planned for Austin,
Dallas, Houston, El
Paso and Corpus
Christi. If you are
interested in
helping host a forum
in one of these
areas or in your
area of Texas,
please email TxGCP
Director, Tricia
Berry. Dates and
details will be
included in the
September 2008 TxGCP
eNewsletter.
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Send the Right
Engineering Message
The
National Academy of
Engineering (NAE) has
conducted a major study
to address the messages
we portray to
pre-college students
about engineering. The
findings show
that young people want
jobs that make a
difference. Additional
recommendations from the
research study are as
follows:
- Stop
reinforcing the images
of 'nerdy and boring'
- Stop focusing on math
and science as the
needed inputs and
instead focus on the
outputs, career
opportunities, and
making a difference in
the world (math/science
are still important but
we don't need focus on
it as much as we have
historically)
- Use the word 'create'
not 'build'
- Use images of people,
not things: especially
avoid using gears and
mechanical looking
things
- Use the following five
words in describing
engineering: discovery,
design, imagination,
innovation, contribution
- Describe engineers as
creative problem
solvers, essential to
health, happiness and
safety
- Emphasize that
engineers shape the
future
Check out a
PowerPoint presentation
on the report by
Jacquelyn Sullivan from
the University of
Colorado presented at
the
WEPAN 2008 National
Conference.
Engineer Your Life
is a fantastic
resource for high
school girls using
the findings from
the NAE study.
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Talking
Points Resource
A
collaboration of the
National Center for
Women & Information
Technology (NCWIT)
K-12 Alliance and
NCWIT social
scientists
The
NCWIT Talking Points
Web site is the "for
more information"
site, while the
actual resource (see
the
downloadable pdf
on the page) is
intended to be
printed as a 2-sided
5.5" x 8.5" card and
given to parents,
counselors,
teachers, Girl Scout
leaders, and other
adults who influence
girls. The ideas and
images embedded in
the card are based
in research about
both the primary and
secondary audiences
(adults and girls,
respectively). This
includes: what
parents care about
for their children,
their possible
misconceptions about
IT careers, and
their priorities for
daughters' happiness
as adults; and
research on girls:
their career
intentions at both
middle and high
school ages and
wisdom about what
they need to do now
to prepare for
successful admission
to a relevant
program at the
undergraduate level
(for both middle and
high schoolers).
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Around Texas: K-12 STEM
Events |
See what
Science,
Technology, Math or
Engineering events are
coming up in your area.
Events are listed in
"deadline to apply"
order. Just select the
event name to read more
about it.
Your Opportunities are
Unlimited at UT (YOU@UT)
Women in Engineering
Program
The University of Texas
at Austin
9/27/08
Application Opens:
August 26, 2008
Grades: Current
12th Graders
Austin, Texas
Maker Faire
10/18/08-10/19/08
Grades: All Ages
Austin, Texas
Other Upcoming Events |
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The TxGCP eNewsletter is
distributed monthly.
Visit our
web site for
additional updates on
upcoming events,
resources and mini-grant
information. |
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Effective Strategies for
Working with Girls
in STEM (Part 2)
September
10
1 - 2 p.m.
CT
This
webcast is a
follow-up event to a
November 2007 NGCP
webcast. Relevant
research about
working effectively
with girls in STEM
will be discussed
and two program
models that are
successfully
integrating
research-based
strategies into
their girl-serving
STEM programs will
be highlighted. The
November 2007
webcast recording
and summary
publication are both
available online.
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Event Listing |
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Publicize
your K-12 STEM-related
events across Texas.
Submit your event
information for
inclusion in the next
TxGCP eNewsletter.
Sign
up in the National
Girls Collaborative
Project (NGCP)
Program Directory to
network, share
resources, and
collaborate on
STEM-related
projects for girls.
Use the "Search"
function to find
programs and
organizations in
Texas.
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