NEWSLETTER • FALL 2019
GIRLS 4 SCIENCE HOSTS 10 YEAR REUNION WITH
10 th ANNUAL STUDENT RECOGNITION
AND AWARDS PROGRAM
EMCEED BY ABC 7 CHICAGO’S EVELYN HOLMES
Girls 4 Science hosted its 10 th Annual Student Recognition and Awards Program on Saturday August 10, 2019 at Malcolm X College, 1900 West Jackson Boulevard. The nationally recognized non-profit welcomed 125 students and their families at a class reunion to honor accomplishments made over the last 10 years.

The event began at 1:00 p.m. with a networking opportunity for Girls 4 Science alumni and current students before ABC 7 reporter Evelyn Holmes kicked off the ceremony with a warm welcome. Keynote speaker Dr. LaJena Miller , Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine, Navy veteran and Chicago native, then took the stage to share her STEM journey and offer advice to students. Program Coordinators, Mentors and this year’s Girls 4 Science participants received recognition, and three students were awarded with the Linda McGill Boasmond Scholarship. The afternoon concluded with remarks from long-time Girls 4 Science supporter, Janice Feinberg from the Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation, and a light dessert reception.
About Dr. LaJena Miller
Guest Speaker
Dr. Miller is an urban native of Chicago. Graduating in the top 10 of her class from Chicago’s Westside George W. Collins in 1995, she strived to become the first doctor in her family. After serving 8 years in the United States Navy as a Dental Technician, Dr. Miller went on to receive a Baccalaureate of Science and Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) in 2014. Dr. Miller practiced Chiropractic Wellness for 3 years before joining the Medical Support Staff at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in the fall of 2018. This opportunity gave her the chance to serve her fellow Veterans by providing them access to affordable health care, housing, career rehabilitation, mental healthcare, PTSD services and decedent affairs. Dr. Miller was also nominated for the Jesse Brown Spirit Award, the highest nomination and recognition from her peers.
A peek at our
10 th Annual Student Recognition and Awards Program
This event was sponsored by Chicago’s Cedar Concepts Corporation , a chemical manufacturing company in the Back of Yards neighborhood, and The Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation , a longtime supporter of Girls 4 Science.
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DIY Chemistry
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What's Going On in the Fall 2019 Module:
BIOLOGY
The students studied the function of the human cells and with the instruction of staff and volunteers created and edible cell (using twizzlers, marshmallows, gummie bears, whip cream and cookies) as a hands on activity. The fall program included a trip to the Surgical Museum to learn about modern day surgical procedures, students will also dissect Owl Pellets, and perform a lab learning about the DNA of Fruits and Vegetables.
G4S FEATURED ON SAUCEY GIRLS RADIO
Click the link below to see and hear the entire interview:

Morgan Pratt ,who is a G4S Alumni and Freshman at UIC Chicago with a BioMedical Major, spoke about the program and the impact of Mentorship and STEM experiences

Danielle McDaniels, who is a G4S Program Coordinator spoke about serving the families as a team member and the importance of her job with planning the student activities.

G4S Founder and Executive Director Jackie Lomax rounded out the discussion with the history of G4S and its future
WHAT WE DID
LAST SUMMER …
TINKER!
This summer G4S conducted a Tinkering Module. One of the activities was the creation of an Art Bot. The bots were made using DC motors, battery pack and a switch - as well as cups, markers, and lots and lots of tape. When finished they made different patterns on the paper depending on the robot design. The motivation for making an Art Bots stems around two main concepts:
  1. Building, testing and implementing a functional circuit.The girls needed to follow a basic diagram and, wire strippers and troubleshoot when their motors weren't working (or sometimes we couldn't get the motor to stop!)
  2. Learning through iterative design. There are multiple design factors for this robot. Where the students place their motor, battery pack, glue stick and markers. As they put it all together, sometimes it was unbalanced or not sturdy and they had to go back an edit their design in order to improve or change it. Sometimes, the student went back and changed the aesthetics of their finished bot!
G4S would like to Thank Rocket Wagon for their partnership in the Tinker's Workshop Summer Session
More News…
Lewis University Bio Camp with G4S Summer 2019
The first day of camp began with Ms. Pifer who introduced the girls to how the heart works and provided them with hands-on activities to follow the flow of blood to, through and from the heart. The girls dissected pig hearts and performed EKG traces! Day 2 of camp was led by Dr. Bailey and the girls learned about the role of an Epidemiologist and they carried out a lab activity where they traced the source of an outbreak. Day 3 of camp was with Dr. Havens who spent time with the girls discussing different jobs Biologists can have. Then they modeled being Field Biologists and dissected Owl Pellets to discover what the Owls were eating and if they were living in healthy ecosystems. Day 3 and 4 of camp, Dr. Snyder and the girls spent the afternoon carrying out a lab activity where they genetically transformed  E. coli  with GFP which is a gene that makes a protein that when exposed to UV glows. The next day they examined the results and the girls saw glowing bacteria! The girls spent the rest of the morning talking about how GMO foods are created, how insulin is made by using genetically transformed bacteria and how bacteria are being genetically transformed to degrade oil and other toxic wastes in our environment. 
Women in History Panel Discussion
In April , Girls 4 Science hosted Women In History . A student STEM Showcase and Panel Discussion. The topic of the dicussion was “The importance of STEM in your background.” The discussion was moderated by Ilene Gordon with panelists Kari Steele , President, Board of Commissioners, Water Reclaimation District; Patricia Saldaña Natke , President and Design Principal, UrbanWorks Ltd; and Suzzette Jaskowiak , Divisional Vice President, Pharmacy, Healthcare and Customer Engagement Technology, Walgreens.

Thanks again to our sponsors the Joseph & Bessie Feinberg Foundation and Horizon Therapeutics.

We invite you to view the videos (part 1 & part 2) of our very interesting and lively discussion:
Your generous donations help us expand our programs and expose more girls to STEM and the career opportunities available.
Other Ways to Support G4S
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  • Become a volunteer
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