Group strives to connect women, girls with math and science

For decades, we've heard reports that many girls lose interest in science and math as they get older and fewer women than men enter careers related to the disciplines.

Professional groups and organizations like the American Association of University Women long have advocated for greater support of girls who like and do well in the subjects. The groups sponsor STEM projects - for science, technology, engineering and math - letting girls explore their talents and potential careers in the fields.

A new organization, the Midwest Girls Collaborative Project, aims to help those who run STEM projects.

The collaborative project is hosting a conference Friday for STEM project sponsors. Participants can gather ideas for projects and increasing participation, learn about resources and mini-grants available through the MWGCP, and even join a hands-on workshop on nanotechnology.

"It allows us to bring people and projects together to share resources," said Linnea High, a member of the Champions Board planning the conference and a member of the Naperville Area AAUW branch. "We also hope to spread the word about the MWGCP and how it can help individuals and organizations to expand career horizons for girls."

High and Lynn Reha, Illinois leader for the Midwest Girls Collaborative Project and director of the Center for Specialized Professional Support in Illinois State University's College of Education, further explain the collaborative project and its goals.

Q. What is your organization's name?

High: Midwest Girls Collaborative Project, a regional program partnership between the AAUW, the National Science Foundation and the Puget Sound Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology.

Q. What is your mission?

High: To help more women and girls become interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), especially through working with individuals and groups involved in STEM projects.

Q. How do you work toward accomplishing that goal?

Reha: The MWGCP provides resources to help organizations conduct activities that invite women and girls into STEM careers. We will have at least one event per year to provide resources and give information about mini awards.

High: Our Kick-Off Conference is a way for people to network, learn about funding and other resources, share ideas for new projects, and learn about getting girls interested in attending STEM workshops.

Q. When and why did the Midwest Girls Collaborative Project start? How has it grown?

Reha: The MWGCP is a sub-collaboration to the National Girls Collaborative Project and has been in existence for about six months.

Q. What kind of successes has the program had?

Reha: A similar project - sponsored by the Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois State Board of Education through the Illinois Center for Specialized Professional Support at Illinois State University - has been active for seven years. The New Look Project sponsored many similar activities to the ones the MWGCP will sponsor. One example is Diva Tech, a summer camp for girls interested in information technology, at Black Hawk College.

Another similar project, Women in Science Education, at the University of Illinois-Chicago, also has sponsored numerous after-school and summer camps and other activities.

Q. What challenges does the project currently face?

Reha: We would like to make people aware of our organization, the Midwest Girls Collaborative Project, and of our Kick-Off Conference on April 17, and of the need to recruit more women into STEM careers. In addition, we are seeking donations so we can offer more mini-awards of up to $1,000 to organizations sponsoring STEM projects.

Q. What is the Midwest Girls Collaborative Project known for in the community?

Reha: We are best known for promoting STEM as career areas for girls. We have a strong corporate presence on our Champions Board and maintain these relationships while providing information, collaboration and funding for local STEM projects.

Q. How does the group contribute to the community?

High: In encouraging girls and women to explore STEM careers, we are broadening the options for their future - giving them more and better choices, often with more lucrative salaries for themselves and their families. We also make mini grants available for supporting STEM project expenses.

Q. What do you wish the community at large knew about the organization?

High: Most people are unaware of our existence and don't know of our involvement with and support of STEM projects being conducted by schools, Girl Scouts, AAUW branches and other organizations working to encourage girls to pursue their interest in science and math.

Many women in STEM careers are invested in helping girls and women explore their interest in these career areas. Our Champions Board members represent a broad spectrum of corporate and educational organizations, for example: Fermi Laboratory, Society for Women Engineers, Motorola, Microsoft, Illinois Institute of Technology and Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.

Right now we are covering only all of Illinois; next year we add Iowa and Missouri.

Q. Who are your members? What qualities do you look for in new members?

Reha: We have three groups of members:

1) State Leadership Team, which guides the operation of the Midwest Girls Collaborative. Those individuals give time and energy to a number of conference calls per year, to arranging logistics, to attending events, and to disseminating information and promoting the project.

2) Champions Board members represent their STEM organizations or businesses and commit to two or three conference calls per year and one face-to-face meeting, disseminate information, and seek donations for mini-awards.

3) Participating organization send members to events, utilize resources and/or apply for mini-awards.

We are seeking members in all the categories.

High: To attend the first event, go to www.icsps.ilstu.edu and click on MWGCP.

Please contact drlh49-general@yahoo.com with inquiries.

Q. How can readers get involved?

High: They can come to our conference and learn how they can develop STEM projects in their schools, organizations and communities. Lynn will be at the conference and available for networking and conversation.

• If you'd like your club featured, contact Christie Willhite at (630) 955-3536 or cwillhite@dailyherald.com.

<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p> <p class="News"><b>What:</b> Midwest Girls Collaborative Project Kick-Off Conference</p> <p class="News"><b>Who:</b> For organizations and individuals interested in promoting girls' and women's interest in science, technology, engineering and math careers</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, April 17</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Northern Illinois University Conference Center, 1120 E. Diehl Road, Naperville</p> <p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> $25, includes breakfast, lunch and materials</p> <p class="News"><b>To register:</b> <a href="http://www.icsps.ilstu.edu/services/registration/mwgcp/kickoff09.html" target="new">www.icsps.ilstu.edu/services/registration/mwgcp/kickoff09.html</a></p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> <a href="http://www.icsps.ilstu.edu" target="new">www.icsps.ilstu.edu</a> or <a href="mailto:drlh49-general@yahoo.com">drlh49-general@yahoo.com</a></p>