Young Women's Summer Institute 2000

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Jun 7, 2000) — 

 Studies show that by the time many middle-school girls enter 9th grade, they've already lost interest in math and science. They turn to more "socially accepted" subjects like English and art. For many girls, math and science are just too boring, too hard, or too uncool. Besides, everybody knows that math and science are for boys, right?

Why Do 9th Grade Girls Lose Interest In Math and Science? OSC Has the Answer -- and the Solution!

Wrong -- and OSC's new Young Women's Summer Institute 2000 (YWSI) is doing something to change these perceptions. YWSI is designed to show girls that there is more to math and science than decimals and dissections. It will help girls develop a clear understanding of how math and science fit together, relate to technology, and impact the "real world." YWSI will even show girls how these "dreaded" subjects can also be fun and exciting.

Young middle-school girls from around Ohio are invited to spend a week in a residential campus experience from June 26 to June 30. Under the guidance of experienced middle-school teachers, the girls will meet with naturalists, water quality experts, scientists and computer technologists to conduct real-world scientific investigation. These current sixth and seventh graders will visit Ohio waterways to survey water quality and plant and animal life. The girls will then use computers to model their data and assess the real-life condition of these waterways and the factors that make an impact on our environment.

Women with experience in the sciences will speak to the girls about opportunities in the scientific, environmental, and technological world. They will learn first-hand about the many exciting and interesting roles that women play in these fields. When YWSI concludes, the girls will have the confidence they need to solve complex scientific problems -- as well as a new understanding of the endless opportunities that await them in the worlds of science, math, and technology. And by the time the girls reach 9th grade, they may even view science and math as fun!

Provided in part by
a grant from the

Sponsored by

Ohio Supercomputer Center