GREAT LAKES SCIENCE CENTER INSPIRING GIRLS TO EXPLORE STEM CAREERS WITH THE RETURN OF GIRLS GO! SCIENCE

November 13th, 2012

CLEVELAND (November 13, 2012) – Last year, Great Lakes Science Center piloted a new program, Girls Go! Science, designed to counter gender biases and stereotypes that can steer girls away from interest in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

On Saturday, November 17, from 9 am to 2 pm, the Science Center is offering its third installment of the increasingly popular program, with a brand-new slate of workshops designed for girls in grades 6 – 12. The Science Center is bringing together women who are on the cutting edge of science to work directly with girls in hands-on workshops that will be full of real experimentation and fun activities.

“Girls Go! Science helps young women explore careers in a risk-free environment, try out different branches of science and make new friends,” said Whitney Owens, vice president of education at Great Lakes Science Center. “According to survey results from last year, 90 percent of girls stated that this event made them think more positively about a STEM career. It is with programs like these that we hope to inspire the next generation of scientific thinkers.”

Girls can investigate meteorology with the National Weather Service, try engineering with Rockwell Automation, explore zoology with the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, delve into Great Lakes geology with Cuyahoga Community College, and check out environmental science with the Cleveland Botanical Garden – all through first-hand experiments.

In addition, female student-scientists from local universities will mentor girls throughout the day, speaking informally and candidly about why they are pursuing STEM-related majors and careers.

Members of the news media are invited to attend.

Tickets are $32 ($27 members) and include a t-shirt and lunch, as well as one morning session and one afternoon session. To register, call 216-621-2400 (Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5:30 pm).

Program support is provided by Rockwell Automation, Magnificat and Olympic Steel. For more information, visit http://www.greatscience.com/girlsgo3.php.

Media Contact:
Kristen Glaspell
Marketing & PR Manager
216-696-3823
glaspellk@glsc.org

About Great Lakes Science Center:
Great Lakes Science Center is one of the nation’s leading science and technology centers and home to Northeast Ohio’s NASA Glenn Visitor Center. Its mission is to stimulate interest in and increase understanding of the sciences, with a particular emphasis on the interdependence of scientific, environmental and technological activities in the Great Lakes region. It features hundreds of hands-on exhibits, themed traveling exhibits, daily demonstrations, the awe-inspiring OMNIMAX® Theater and the Steamship William G. Mather. The Science Center is open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Discounted parking is available for guests in the attached 500-car garage. Great Lakes Science Center is generously funded by the citizens of Cuyahoga County through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture. For more information, contact the Science Center at (216) 694-2000 or visit www.GreatScience.com.

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