Fall 1998 CONFCHEM Switching Students on to Science

Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics ^TM:
A Hands-On Conference for Switching Middle School Girls on to Science
Judith M. Iriarte-Gross
Department of Chemistry, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 37132

ABSTRACT

"I had a great day learning about math and science careers that I didn't know existed!"
"I am looking forward to my career in science and math."
"I really enjoyed working with chemicals and I think I will study chemistry in college."
"I learned things that I would probably never have learned in science and math."

How do we develop and maintain interest in science among middle school girls? We provide the girls with female mentors, hands-on science, single-sex classes, and a cooperative learning environment. These factors motivate girls to investigate new areas and to take risks and to define goals. These factors provide girls with self-confidence in themselves and allow them to participate as a valuable member of a team. Girls are encouraged by their success and thus feel confident of their abilities in science and mathematics. Girls are thus inspired to take advanced science and math courses in middle and high school. All of these factors are found in Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics ^TM Conferences.

Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics ^TM Conference (EYH ^TM) was created in 1976. The first EYH ^TM conference in middle Tennessee was held on October 25, 1997 for 300 middle school girls and 100 parents and teachers. The primary goal of EYH ^TM is to acquaint young women with science, mathematics, and technology-based careers by attending hands-on workshops presented by women in science and technology fields. The middle school girls attending these conferences benefit from interacting with professional women and college women who are actively involved in science and math fields. For many of the girls attending an EYH ^TM conference, it is their first introduction to a college or university campus. The goals, planning and organization, and program of the first Expanding Your Horizons in Science and Mathematics ^TM Conference at Middle Tennessee State University is discussed in this paper. The results and the phenomenal success of our first EYH ^TM conference initially confirm that the above strategies develop and maintain an interest in science among middle school girls.