Listen to ten sound rich, feature-length magazine style radio programs that tell the true story of how certain programs and projects have impacted the lives of girls and young women across the country pursuing careers and education in science, technology, engineering & mathematics. Scroll down and select the story you would like to hear. Never listened online before? Click on the How To Listen Button above.

NEW! These stories are now available via podcast. Click on podcast link to see list of titles.

• Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program for High School Girls: Girls on the Trail of Biodiversity, Northampton, Massachusetts
  Enter Smith College’s Summer Science and Engineering Program for High School Girls.
• The Young Women's Leadership School, East Harlem, New York: Part 1 of 2
  Find out how the Young Women’s Leadership School has been getting 100% of its senior girls into college every year.
• The Young Women's Leadership School, East Harlem, New York: Pt. 2 of 2
• The River Program: St. Margaret's School For Girls, Tappahannock, Virginia
  St. Margaret’s School for Girls places a special emphasis on science education.The girl’s school has formulated special programs that offer students a real chance to enjoy science and succeed at it.
• The Gidget Pipeline Project, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
  Find out about the unique after school girls technology club run by volunteers from Ohio State University’s Women in Technology group...and OSU’s TWICE (The Women in Computer Engineering) program.
• Techbridge Oakland, California
  Techbridge offers a bridge between middle school and high school and is designed to encourage girls in science, engineering and technology.
• GEMS: Girls Excelling in Math and Science, Fairfax County, Virginia
  Fairfax County, Virginia has been home the past ten years for “GEMS - Girls Excelling in Math and Science.”
• Operation Smart, The Bronx, Girls INC. , New York, New York
  Listen as an alumni of the New York City Chapter of Girls Inc shares her experiences.
• The Lincoln Experiment-Lincoln All Girls School, Providence, Rhode Island
  Find out about The Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island which developed a special "physics-first" curriculum that is giving girls a comprehensive exposure to science and physics.
• MESA: Math, Engineering, Science Achievement-Manual Arts High School, Los Angeles, California
  At Manual Arts High School in South Central Los Angeles, girls at this science academy are building robots and competing in science bowls all the time.
• EDGE- Educating Girls For Engineering, New York, New York
  EDGE hopes to encourage academically talented young women to pursue engineering studies in college.

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The River Program: St. Margaret's School For Girls, Tappahannock, Virginia. The National Coalition of Girls’ Schools is a leading proponent of single-sex education for girls. Since its founding in 1991, NCGS has grown to include 105 girl’s independent and public, day and boarding schools across the United States. And it also has affiliated with partners in Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom and other locations. Currently, there are some 45-thousand students attending National Coalition of Girls’ Schools in the U.S. alone. The Coalition’s major areas of focus include: math, science and technology; academic achievement; financial literacy; and global citizenship. NCGS annually commissions an independent survey, asking recent graduates (among other things) how well they felt prepared for college and for science? Across the country, 50% of the girls’ school graduates responded they were either well prepared...or better prepared...than their peers from coed institutions. But for one particular school, the graduates from St. Margaret’s School for Girls in Virginia, that figure jumped to an overwhelming...93% who felt they were very prepared. That’s a true testament to the innovative, collaborative nature of the science curriculum and qualified staff at the school. So naturally, we were curious to learn what they are doing that other schools can emulate. St. Margaret’s School for Girls is located in the small, river front town of Tappahannock, Virginia. Over the past 85 years, the school has expanded from teaching 17 students in a room above a pharmacy...to an idyllic boarding school serving more than 150 young women, grades eight through twelve. The diverse student body comes from 12 countries and 14 states, and maintains an enviable 6 to 1 student to faculty ratio. Plus, 99% of its graduates continue on to attend college. St. Margaret’s School for Girls places a special emphasis on science education. It realizes girls may view math and science careers in an unfavorable light for women. So, the girl’s school has formulated special programs that offer students a real chance to enjoy science and succeed at it. One way St. Margaret’s does this, is by bringing the river that flows right by its classrooms into its curriculum. Shea Shackleford reports from Virginia. (12:58) *(To find out more about the St. Margaret’s School for Girls, check out their website at www.sms.org. To learn more about the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools, their website is: www.ncgs.org) Featured in this story: Margaret Broad, Head of School, St. Margaret’s School for Girls, Tappahannock, Virginia and President, National Coalition of Girls’ Schools; Mollie Conklin, Science Department Head; Sara Brooks, Chemistry Teacher; Sydney Harris, Student, 12th Grade; Anna Cooper, Student, 11th Grade; Heather Lin, Student, 10th Grade; Hannah Hunt, Student, 9th Grade; Alum, Lindsay Neist, Biology Major, Virginia Tech; Alum, Kimberly Clark, Chemistry & Environmental Major, Randolph-Macon College	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
The Lincoln Experiment-Lincoln All Girls School, Providence, Rhode Island. It used to be that physics came late in high school, generally in the junior or senior year. This allowed students to have higher math first, like trigonometry and calculus. Then, by the mid-90s when it appeared science students in the United States were lagging behind students in other countries, there came a public out cry for “physics first.” So, ten years ago, the Lincoln School in Providence, Rhode Island responded and began to develop its own “physics-first curriculum.” Before 1994, only 30% of this all-girls school took physics. Now, ALL the girls, 100% of the school’s graduates have at least three years of lab science by the time they leave. That includes not only physics, but chemistry and biology as well. How has the Lincoln School managed this change? The Best Of Our Knowledge spent time at the school recently to find out what makes “The Lincoln Experiment” in science education tick. Jackson Braider reports from Providence, Rhode Island. (14:58)*(Information about the Lincoln School and their upper school science program can be found at their website: www.lincolnschool.org) *Featured in story: Maureen Raia-Taylor, Principal of Upper School, Lincoln School, Providence, Rhode Island; Hanna Rudnicki, Physics Teacher; Sarah Fogarty, Chair, Science Department and Biology Teacher; Catherine Hibbitt, 8th Grade Teacher; Students - Alexis Mancini, 12th grade; Stephanie Del Ponte, 12th grade; Folake Ogundipe, 12th grade; and Jenna Musco, 11th grade	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
MESA: Math, Engineering, Science Achievement-Manual Arts High School, Los Angeles, California. Actress, Sigourney Weaver, describes herself as a “serious science junkie.” She may be best known for her roles in movies like the “Alien” series and “Gorillas in the Mist.” Weaver was at Syracuse University a few days ago helping dedicate a new life sciences complex, and called on more women to study science. The actress said women might decide not to study science because it isn’t always taught in an interesting and exciting way. Well, that’s not the case at Manual Arts High School in South Central Los Angeles, where teacher, John Santos, is doing all he can to change that perception. Girls in his science academy are building robots and competing in science bowls all the time. Fully half of his students last year were girls. And despite the poor socio-economic urban conditions, not only did all the girls graduate, about 40% went on to a four-year university, proving this program’s tremendous impact. Robin Urevich reports from Los Angeles. (12:30) *(To read more information about the schools mentioned in this story, the website for Manual Arts High School is: www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Manual_Arts_HS. The University of California, Merced website is: www.ucmerced.edu) Featured in story:John Santos, Teacher, Science Academy, Manual Arts High School, South Central Los Angeles; Dr. Jeff Wright, Dean of Engineering, University of California, Merced, California; Yolanda Urbina, Freshman, UC Merced; Manual Arts High School Students, Rebecca, Graciela, and Reyna	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
Operation Smart, The Bronx, Girls INC., New York, New York. Girls Incorporated started about 140 years ago. In the 1980's, Girls Inc. created what it terms Operation Smart to introduce young girls to science, math, and technology. There are now over one-thousand Girls Incorporated sites in the U.S. And their most recent figures indicate that about 500-thousand girls have been introduced to the Operation Smart program. The New York City affiliate has been around since the mid-90's. A testimony to the success of the program is heard through the story of 26-year old Brooklyn native, Afua Addo, who spent three summers immersed in the Girls, Inc. program over a decade ago. Now, she’s an Administration Staff Analyst with the Department of Education. The Operation Smart Computer Class we visit is held at the Bronx High School for Performance and Stagecraft. Karen Pelland reports from New York City. (13:07) *(For more information about Operation Smart NYC, and to view the websites created by the girls at the Bronx High School for Performance and Stagecraft, go to www.girlsincnyc.org.) Featured in story: Pamela Moraldo, Executive Director, Girls Incorporated New York City; Afua Addo, Administration Staff Analyst, U.S. Department of Education (former Girls Inc. Student); Ashley Boconegra, Student, Bronx High School for Performance and Stagecraft; Nickeshia Brown, Student; Courteney Smith, Student; Chaneisly Gonzalez, Student	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
The Gidget Pipeline Project, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. The Gidget Pipeline Project recommends educating girls to be designers, not just users. It says educators and parents should help girls imagine themselves early in life as creators and producers of new technology. Pamela Haag, the AAUW Educational Foundation’s Director of Research says, “To get girls ‘under the hood’ of technology, they need to see that it gets them where they want to go.” Mary Thorn, of the National Council for Research on Women believes, “The need for mentors and networking for girls and women begins at the primary school level...” And so, the past few years, volunteers from Ohio State University’s Women in Technology group...and OSU’s TWICE (The Women in Computer Engineering) program, have been running an after school technology club for girls. It’s generating a curriculum for others to be able to duplicate the after school technology experience. And though it’s still early, the club reports a remarkably high retention rate of 80%, or 8 out of 10 girls completing the year-long program. TBOOK visits this unique program in Columbus, Ohio to speak with faculty and students. Sandra Sleight-Brennan reports from Ohio. (12:47) *(For more details about this popular Gidget Pipeline Project, listeners should log on to: www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~bbair/gidget/Rationale.htm) Featured in story: Eva Bradshaw, Director, Technology and Enhanced Learning, College of Human Ecology, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Bettina Bair, Instructor, Computer Engineering; Catherine Girves, University Area Enrichment Association; Giouri Akundy, Computing Science Undergraduate; Jen Rutledge, Computing Science Undergraduate; Carol McKee, TWICE student; Betsey Beraduce, TWICE student; Jhava, Middle School Student	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
The Young Women's Leadership School, East Harlem, New York: Part 1 of 2. People outside of New York City are probably unaware of this remarkable public school in East Harlem. It won last year’s prestigious Breakthrough School Award from the National Association of Secondary School Principals for success working with low income and minority students. It also won the Young Science Achievers Award in 2004. This all girls public school is 66% Latina, and 33% African American. Among the many amazing statistics..The Young Women’s Leadership School has been getting 100% of its senior girls into college every year. We just had to find out what they’re doing right. So The Best of Our Knowledge went to The Young Women's Leadership School in East Harlem and this is their story in their own words. Blue Chevigny reports from NYC. (12:55) Featured in story: Kathlene Ponze, Principal, The Young Women’s Leadership School, East Harlem, New York; Chris Farmer, School Counselor; Terry Colliton, 7th Grade Math Teacher; Colleen McGeehan, 8th Grade Math & Science Teacher; Susan Vincent, Marine Science Teacher; Kayla Medina, 9th Grade Student; Natasha Williams, 11th Grade Student; Amal, 11th Grade Student; Jahlese Ladson, 12th Grade Student; Leslie, 12th Grade Student; and Veronica, Science Student *(For more details about The Young Women’s Leadership School, listeners should visit their website: www.tywls.org.)	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
The Young Women's Leadership School, East Harlem, New York: Part 2 of 2. Two years ago, The Young Women’s Leadership Foundation took a group of science students to the Mississippi Delta. That research won them the Young Science Achievers Award. They are part of the science program at The Young Women’s Leadership School in East Harlem, New York City. It’s a public school. It’s all girls. It’s 100% minority. And it’s also been enrolling 100% of its senior girls into college every year. Last week, we spoke with several teachers and students at The Young Women’s Leadership School to learn about the math and science curricula, and to find out what goes on inside classrooms. This week, students tell us about their college goals, we go with a marine science teacher and her class on a rain-drenched field trip, and we discuss the school’s formula for success. Blue Chevigny reports from NYC. (12:09) Featured in story: Kathlene Ponze, Principal, The Young Women’s Leadership School, East Harlem, New York; Chris Farmer, School Counselor; Terry Colliton, 7th Grade Math Teacher; Colleen McGeehan, 8th Grade Math & Science Teacher; Susan Vincent, Marine Science Teacher; Kayla Medina, 9th Grade Student; Natasha Williams, 11th Grade Student; Amal, 11th Grade Student; Jahlese Ladson, 12th Grade Student; Leslie, 12th Grade Student; and Veronica, Science Student *(For more details about The Young Women’s Leadership School, listeners should visit their website: www.tywls.org.)	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
Smith College Summer Science and Engineering Program for High School Girls: Girls on the Trail of Biodiversity, Northampton, Massachusetts. Despite advances made by women over the past three decades, studies show that the world of science remains male dominated. But many educators and institutions are working to change that. Enter Smith College’s Summer Science and Engineering Program for High School Girls. The Northampton, Massachusetts college is no johnny-come-lately. Since this innovative program started in 1990, more than 1,000 high school girls from across America and abroad have participated. According to Smith College, 75% of the program’s graduates say it increased their interest in science and their confidence. Each summer girls spend a full month in research courses as varied as: Designing Intelligent Robots; Telescopes and Astronomical Imaging; and, Genetics and Ecology. The Smith program is sending a clear message to teenage girls that lab coats and field glasses are a good fit, no matter what gender one is. Nancy Cohen reports from Massachusetts. (10:05) For more information, please visit: http://www.smith.edu/summerprograms/ssep/ Featured in story: Gail Scordilis, Director, Summer Science Program, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts; Chris Davis, Biologist; Fred Morrison, Naturalist and Teacher; Laurie Sanders, Naturalist and Teacher; Jo Handelsman, Microbiology Teacher, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin; Andrea Minei, graduate student, Wesleyan University; Meghan Parker, student, Redmond, Washington; and Jujet Benjamin, high school student.	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
GEMS: Girls Excelling in Math and Science, Fairfax County, Virginia. Just three weeks ago, International Education Week was celebrated. This year’s theme was International Education: Improving Student Achievement Around the World. One of the major events was a live downlink between the crew of the International Space Station, and students at Thomas Jefferson High School in Virginia. Why that particular school? Well, Thomas Jefferson is a Virginia Governor’s School, dedicated to excellence in mathematics, science and technology in education. It was no accident Thomas Jefferson school was honored with that distinction. Fairfax County, Virginia has been home the past ten years for “GEMS - Girls Excelling in Math and Science.” It’s an after school club for girls that’s so popular, it’s been doubling in size each year. Student’s academic performance is being researched and tracked from the age of ten, right on through Thomas Jefferson High School. Richard Paul reports from Virginia. (14:48) Featured in story: Laura Jones, Researcher, Author and GEMS creator, Clearview Elementary School, Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia; Ray Leonard, GEMS Teacher, Glasgow Middle School, Fairfax; Sandi Connelly, Guidance Counselor, Thomas Jefferson High School, Fairfax; Myra Thayer, Science Coordinator, Fairfax County Public Schools; Lauren Gilchrist, Student, Thomas Jefferson High School; plus several other student and mentor voices *(For listeners interested in seeing more about the GEMS Club, visit the Girls Excelling in Math and Science website: <www.gemsclub.org>.)	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
Techbridge Oakland, California.“There’s been no wake up call.” Norman Augustine says there has not yet been a “Sputnik moment” - a single galvanizing event that illustrates what the lack of math and science preparedness could mean to the average citizen. Augustine chaired a committee comprised of corporate, higher education, and science leaders. It reported out 10 recommendations to federal lawmakers for strengthening science and technology innovation. A consensus is now growing among politicians, educators, and corporate leaders in favor of a stronger national effort to bolster math and science education from the earliest grades, right on through college. We found an organization in California that’s already been doing just that. During this school year, Techbridge is hosting 16 programs at 15 schools across the Oakland unified school district, and other neighboring communities. Techbridge - is so called - because it offers a bridge between middle school and high school. It offers after school and summer programs designed to encourage girls in science, engineering and technology. Techbridge includes: hands-on activities in a girls-only environment; counseling about career options in technology, science and engineering; leadership and self-esteem development; and family events for encouraging girls in science and technology. Now, five years since it began these innovative programs, Techbridge has taught 1,250 mostly minority, working class, and middle income students. The Best of Our Knowledge visited an Oakland middle school to find out from students and teachers just what makes their program successful. Reese Erlich reports from California. (9:36) Featured in this story: Linda Kekelis, Techbridge Executive Director; Judy McGinty, Middle School Teacher; Jeri Countryman, Oakland Technical High School; December Martin, Teacher; Robin Bellows, Oakland Tech Graduate, Harvard Freshman; Denika Williams, 6th Grade Student; Ebone Carter, 7th Grade Student; Jamaya Clay, 7th Grade Student; Katasha Kalongji, High School Senior *(For more information about the many Techbridge programs, or their Techbridge Summer Training Institute, their website is: <www.techbridgegirls.org>.)	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page
EDGE- Educating Girls For Engineering, New York, New York. Re-engineering electronic devices and toys for disabled children. That was the goal for this past summer’s “EDGE - Educating Girls For Engineering” program. For the third consecutive year, high school girls from around the U.S. came to Union College in Schenectady, New York. EDGE hopes to encourage academically talented young women to pursue engineering studies in college. 21 juniors and seniors were chosen through a rigorous application process including essays, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. The highly select group of girls started their summer session by visiting Schenectady’s Northwoods at Hilltop Brain Injury Rehabilitation Center where they met with patients and began to re-design everything from stuffed animals to TV remote controls. This is the EDGE story. Jim Horne reports from New York. (10:25) Featured in this story: Karen Williams, Professor, Department of Biology and EDGE Program Coordinator, Union College, Schenectady, New York; Michelle Canastrachi, Physics and Engineering Teacher, Colonie Central High School, Colonie, NY; Natalie, Student, St. Paul, Minnesota; and Meredith, Student, Seneca Falls, NY *(More information about the EDGE program is available at the following website: <http://engineering.union.edu/edge>.)	Listen in Windows Media Player Other stories Click here to return to Powerful Signals main page

 

 

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