2012 RECIPIENT:
GIRLSTART
GirlStart has the $10,000 needed to secure and expand the GirlStart After School Program in Georgetown.
Girlstart is deeply grateful to the Seeds of Strength for supporting our impactful Girlstart After School Programs in Georgetown schools. Girlstart’s mission is to increase girls’ interest and engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through innovative, nationally recognized informal STEM education programs.
Our Girlstart After School programs in Georgetown provide girls with free STEM programming every week throughout the school year, as well as wraparound services to support STEM in each partner school. Our Georgetown partner schools include Forbes MS, Gateway Charter College Preparatory School, McCoy Elementary, Mitchell Elementary (3rd and 4th Grades), Tippit MS and Williams elementary.
Girlstart After School makes a huge difference in girls’ ability to think critically and creatively skills that are essential for math and science success in school and in life. One program leader at Mitchell Elementary, shared this experience with us:
‘The Girlstart club at Mitchell is full of energetic and highly motivated girls. They are dedicated to learning about STEM and the Engineering Design Process (highlighted in the Air Mail Challenge activity). The girls brain stormed and designed ideas for a packaging system that would protect a potato chip from water and a vertical drop. As the girls completed their prototype, they put it to the test. When the girls successfully designed a package, the feeling of accomplishment was evident on their faces. However, if a package failed, the girls were anxious and ready to revise their design, rebuild it, and retest it. The challenge provided the girls with the opportunity to find creative solutions. We focused on the process instead of the end product in order to refine their critical thinking skills.’ Bertha Bermudez, Program Leader at Mitchell Elementary With Seeds of Strength support in 2012-13, we will be able to serve nearly 150 Georgetown girls with high impact STEM experiences just like these. We could not do this without your support! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
~Jessica Cook, Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations