I am submitting the following position paper for the NSF Sponsored Workshop: Improving and Assessing the Impact of Programs to Encourage Girls to Pursue Science, Engineering and Mathematics.

The Objectives of our program are:

To develop a more positive attitude towards math and science on the part of the participants

To encourage participants to stay on the math/science track in high school by enrolling in math and science courses up to calculus and physics and to continue on the track in college.

To support girls' decisions to pursue careers in math and science, including teaching careers.

To develop math/science support network among the participants. To help participants develop a positive attitude towards diversity.

To encourage parental support for participants' interest in science and mathematics.

To accomplish the above objectives we have designed the following activities:

The academic curriculum is intended to have an interactive "real life" approach to teaching science and mathematics. The curriculum is designed to spark the girls' interest and encourage them to pursue these subjects in high school and beyond. During the workshop, we try to provide applications of the concepts the students are introduced to in the classroom.

For example, when patterns and tessellation concepts are taught in the mathematics classroom, the students visit the Metropolitan Museum. In the museum the instructor, Carol Desoe, points out patterns appearing in exhibited artwork. The students also have a chance to observe the special use of patters specific to certain cultures. The instructor's interest in Islamic art provides the students with a point of view they might not have been exposed to.

We also visit the Forensic Laboratories of Westchester County to have the students observe the applications of concepts they have seen in both biology and chemistry labs. The interest in forensic careers the students express in later evaluations indicates that students are impressed with an illustration of applications of classroom concepts.

The Workshop is intended to builds the girls' confidence in their academic abilities and thereby encourages them to pursue careers in scientific and technological fields.

The role models we provide for students in the panels of scientists and mathematicians from a variety of professions is one the most appreciated part of the program. Most

students are very surprised to find the number of options open to them if they decide to study science and mathematics. They are also very interested in knowing the salary of our panelists.

Our career panelist are professional female scientists and mathematicians employed at such organizations as IBM, Ciba Texaco, and Hospitals among others.

Since the inception of the Workshop in 1993, 130 high school girls of diverse cultural and economic backgrounds from over 20 regional public and private high schools have benefited from the services provided.

Workshop offerings include:

Our curriculum is designed to be interactive and is composed of the following classes: topology and geometry (tessellation and graph theory), physics (construction of hot air balloons, bridges and rubber band cars), chemistry (color chromatography, food content analysis), biology (genetics and DNA testing, artificial blood analysis and hair analysis), and computer applications (graphics, spread sheets and creating Web pages). The classes are designed to integrate learning with applications.

Field trips to science centers, museums, research facilities, and regional corporations.

A science fair organized by the girls; student recognition activities, and two annual reunions during the school year. The reunions have academic as well as social components.

Multicultural awareness activities:

We have tried to reach parents and encourage them to promote their daughters' interest in science and mathematics. We need to do more in this area.

As a summer resident student at Marymount College, each girl gains an appreciation for multiculturalism by living among others with backgrounds different from her own and gets to sample college life.

Participants and Recruitment

Recognizing that high schools have advanced placement programs for the gifted and developmental programs for academically weaker students, our Workshop seeks to serve another group-- one all too frequently overlooked-- girls who are B or better students, with interest in science and mathematics, but who may not consider themselves "talented or competitive" enough to pursue these subjects in high school or consider careers in these fields. The past six years we have served a very diverse group of students from New York City and the suburbs.

Staff and Administration

The Workshop is administered by Dr. Maryam Hastings, Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Maryrnount College. She oversees the Workshop's academic components, hires and supervises teachers and staff and manages the budget. She is assisted by Gretchen Teifer-Helms a high school mathematics teachers.

The Workshop is designed and reviewed annually by an Advisory Committee which includes faculty, teachers, and regional school and college administrators. Classes are taught by "master teachers" chosen from Maryrnount College faculty and Westchester County high school teachers who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in their fields as well as teaching skills. The all female teaching staff is especially sensitive to creating a very positive atmosphere, which promotes self-confidence for girls. The residence staff consists of a resident director, a Marymount graduate; four resident advisors.

Program Evaluation:

For the first four years of the program we designed a long term evaluation. Our evaluator was Dr. Beatriz Clewell, a research scientist at the Urban Institute in Washington, D. C. Results have been positive to date. A 26-page evaluation report is available by request. Presently we are performing short-term evaluations. A statistician, Diana Quimby, is doing the analysis.

Pitfalls:

The problems arising in resident life has challenged us every year. It is very difficult to anticipate what may cause conflicts in the residential life of the program. We have learned to avoid certain pitfalls such as: allowing students to visit with friends and parents during the program, but we are challenged with new problems every year.

Maryam Hastings
Marymount College
Tarrytown, New York 10591
hastings@mmc.marymt.edu