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Building the Capacity of STEM Practitioners to Develop a Diverse Workforce
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 NGCP Updates
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January is National Mentoring Month
Mentors play an essential role in preparing girls for a bright future. During National Mentoring Month, we celebrate the contributions of all those who cultivate a supportive environment for the next generation, and we recommit to expanding mentorship opportunities across our networks.
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At the recent Pacific Northwest Girls Collaborative Project Conference, "Exploring Collaborations: Successful Strategies for Increasing Equity and Access to STEM," high school participants on "The Girl Perspective Panel" underscored the importance of having a mentor. One participant noted, "A common theme is that we've all had mentors who really inspired us, and that's why we're all here." She also emphasized the importance of "[reaching] out to the girls who don't have mentors in STEM." Another participant said she speaks in public because she knows not all girls are so lucky to have mentors early.
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Collaborative Network Activities
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NGCP Webinar: Ignite Girls' Interest in STEM through Role Models: Stories & Strategies from the NGCP's FabFems Project
January 9, 2014; 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Pacific
In honor of National Mentoring Month, the NGCP will showcase its innovative online collaboration tool, The FabFems Project. The webinar will feature an in-depth look at the FabFems Role Model Directory, a national database of women who are inspiring role models for young women. Participants will learn how to effectively provide role models and mentors for girls, including strategies for recruiting, retaining, and recognizing professional volunteers.
Role Models Matter Forum for Arizona
The Arizona Science, Technology, and Engineering Collaborative (ASTEC) Project for Girls will hold interactive workshops to train teachers, STEM professionals, girl scout leaders, and other adults who interact with girls. Facilitators will conduct the Techbridge "Role Models Matter" program and facilitate several hands-on activities from the Techbridge curriculum. This forum is open to all educators and formal and informal STEM professionals.
Tucson, AZ; January 24, 2014; 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Phoenix, AZ; January 25, 2014; 8:00 AM - 2:30 PM
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 each Collaborative website.
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FabFems Spotlight
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 In honor of National Mentoring Month, we are featuring a FabFem of the Day on our Twitter and Facebook pages. Follow along throughout the month as we celebrate these role models dedicated to inspiring girls to dispel stereotypes and expanding career options. Learn more about FabFems and join our community of role models by visiting the FabFems Role Model Directory.
Meet Bev Bitzegaio, Director of Outreach and Student Career Support at Indiana State University's College of Technology. She connects students with industry to help them find career opportunities. She also is the Collaborative Lead for the Indiana Girls Collaborative Project.
Read more
Looking for a FabFem like Bev to connect with in your area?
Search www.fabfems.org.
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Resources
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January is National Mentoring Month
National Mentoring Month focuses national attention on the need for mentors to guide our youth. Research shows girls benefit from relationships with role models and mentors who can provide valuable information about STEM careers.
MentorNet: MentorNet's mission is to help engineering and science students at the university level by matching them with mentors and guiding their one-on-one relationships over the Web. MentorNet enables students to achieve their career goals and works to diversify the engineering and science workforce by focusing on women and underrepresented minorities. This program is offered at no cost to students with an .edu email address who intend to enter the STEM fields.
Role Models in Science & Engineering Achievement: The USA Science & Engineering Festival features "Role Models in Science & Engineering Achievement" on their website. These STEM profiles include a variety of pioneers. This is a useful resource for teachers and students.
SciGirls Role Model Strategies: Encouraging Girls to Consider STEM Careers: STEM professionals are in positions to make real differences in girls' lives by becoming role models. By hosting field trips, visiting classrooms, or working with after-school programs and summer camps, they encourage youth in to explore STEM. This resource offers training for role models, introducing the best practices for their volunteer efforts.
Women@NASA: This collection of videos and essays showcases women who work across a variety of NASA departments. The stories demonstrate how these women work to make the world a better place, balance personal and professional responsibilities, and overcome obstacles to pursue their dreams. The site contains resources to inspire girls in STEM, information for K-12 educators, and serves as a hub for women and outreach at NASA.
 Top 10 Ways of Recruiting High School Women Into Your Computing Classes
This list offers practices to recruit high school girls to computing courses. Recruiting diverse students to computing requires that you spark their interest, build their confidence to succeed, create a community where they feel they belong, and see themselves as a "computing person." #IteachSTEM social media campaign Teach For America's STEM Initiative is launching a social media campaign on January 15, 2014, to showcase the inspiring and incredible impact of STEM teachers. The campaign will include stories, photos, and voices from STEM K-12 classroom teachers bringing to life why STEM teaching is a meaningful STEM profession. Follow @TFA_STEM and #IteachSTEM on Twitter and Instagram. MathMovesU Middle School Scholarship Raytheon's MathMovesU program is an initiative designed to engage middle school students in math and science through interactive learning programs, contest, live events, scholarships, and tutoring programs. The MathMovesU Middle School Scholarship awards middle school students $1,000 scholarships to attend math and science summer camps and programs, or save the money for college. Application deadline: February 7, 2014. 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. Build Your Collaborative Network with the NGCP Program Directory provides an overview of the Program Directory as an effective collaboration tool to maximize impact for your program.
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| Collaborative Leadership Team Member Spotlight | |
This month we feature Elizabeth Vandenburg, Outreach Director at the Girls Excelling in Math and Science (the GEMS Club). She was nominated for this spotlight because "her passion for creating and sharing opportunities for STEM girls is contagious. As one of Mid-Atlantic Girls Collaborative (MAGiC) Project's founders and original co-leads, Elizabeth helped to initiate many exciting collaborations in the Mid-Atlantic region, including numerous visits to the White House."
What excites you most about the work you do every day?  Last week I took 3 high school girls to the Stem Connector/Discovery Communications STEM Diversity Symposium on Capitol Hill. Dropping the girls back at school, one told me "that definitely changed my career path [to focus on STEM]." It doesn't get much better than that. Every day is exciting when MAGiC/NGCP work impacts girls.
What drew you to participate in MAGiC in a leadership capacity? In 2007 I was chosen by the American Association of University Women to serve as the regional liaison. It was exciting to launch a new initiative in collaboration with a team, particularly working with Paige Smith and Bria Barry from Women in Engineering/Clark School of Engineering/ University of Maryland. The national support/model coupled with a boots on the ground team is phenomenal.
Which NGCP resources do you find most valuable? So many it's hard to choose. The webinars are fantastic. Also, the leadership team resources are invaluable. I use them constantly. No reinventing the wheel!
How has being involved in NGCP impacted your work? I have learned a lot about collaboration-the strengths and challenges. And, I've learned about persistence. I'm very proud of NGCP and MAGiC's commitment and impact on STEM equity issues.
Who are your role models? My mother ran for City Council when I was 8 years old and she was extremely active in the League of Women Voters so I learned early on to engage in the community.
Most recently my role model is Laura Reasoner Jones, who founded the GEMS Club. She started an after-school club in 1994 -grassroots and organic. Today, we've impacted thousands of girls. She is a self-taught technology specialist, a life-long learner and has made an incredible difference in my life as well as many others.
Finally, the teachers and GEMS Club coordinators (and all adults/teachers who work with girls on the ground) are my most inspiring role models.
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Upcoming STEM Events
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Annual Conference of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (AMTE)
Irvine, CA; February 6-8, 2014
This year's conference features thought-provoking sessions, and opportunities to network and collaborate with other mathematics teacher educators. Featured speakers are Beatriz S. D'Ambrosio, Professor of Mathematics Education at Miami University (OH) and Barbara Reys, Curator's Professor and the Lois Knowles Faculty Fellow in Mathematics Education at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
National Conference of Girls' Education (NCGE)
Philadelphia, PA; February 7-9, 2014
NCGE is a forum for the exchange of transformational educational practice, the sharing of resources for working with girls, and a bridging of best practices from all sectors of girls' education.
Atlanta, GA; February 12-15, 2014
At this conference educators and administrators will have the opportunity to network, share ideas, and engage in professional development and capacity building.
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting Chicago, IL; February 13-17, 2014The AAAS Annual Meeting features Family Science Days, lectures that explore a diverse range of recent developments in science and technology, and plenary speakers such as Susan Lindquist, Professor of Biology at MIT and Steven Chu, Professor of Physics and Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University.
New York, NY; February 28-March 3, 2014
The NAA is dedicated to the development, education, and care of children and youth during their out-of-school hours. At this year's, convention participants will share successes in afterschool and summer programs; and connect with leaders and experts.
Association for Career & Technical Education (ACTE) National Policy Seminar
Arlington, VA; March 3-5, 2014
The ACTE National Policy Seminar provides participants with advocacy tips and tools to promote their programs at the local, state, and federal levels. Participants will discuss policy issues affecting their programs.
International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA) Annual Conference
Orlando, FL; March 27-29, 2014
ITEEA is a professional association concerned with providing and meeting the professional development needs of classroom teachers, supervisors, curriculum writers, and teacher educators who are interested in developing technological literacy. Conference sessions include A Secret Formula? Female Interest in STEM, Enhancing STEM for African Americans in Low-Income School Districts, and Engineering in Afterschool: Imagine the Possibilities.
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| Global Resources |
 Technovation 2014
Through Technovation, young women from all over the world identify
and solve problems in their local communities by developing mobile app prototypes and business plans. They work in collaboration with local or long-distance mentors to research, design, code, and pitch their apps to prospective investors. The program culminates in a World Pitch event each spring, where regional finalists compete to win $10,000 in funding for their app.
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Contact Us
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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.
Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.ngcproject.org
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