9619214 Froning This is a proposal to establish islands of support for girls in science within schools and girls' organizations. The Russell Mathematics and Science Center (RMSC) proposes to establish partnerships with local school systems and girls' organizations to support efforts to help girls succeed in science and mathematics. RMSC is a coeducational specialty area of a state-wide public school with its curriculum and teaching methods developed to support groups underrepresented in science and mathematics. It proposes to leverage its success at attracting young women to specialize in science at an early age by building a program of encouragement for other young women who like science and enjoy studying it. In addition, the project will address two major problems: (a) the lack of science training of adult leaders of girl's organizations, and of middle and upper elementary school teachers to provide age and gender appropriate science experiences; and (b) the lack of an appropriate way of determining the confidence and motivation of girls towards the study of science. The project will: o provide the Birmingham community with organized science activities designed to encourage young women and girls to take science-related courses and to look for career opportunities in scientific professions; o conduct commuter summer science camps for girls from the Birmingham area; o train adult/student leaders in teams within schools and organizations to support girls interested in science; o develop publishable materials and activities that target women's issues in science and that fit into the curriculum of mathematics and science courses in the middle and lower high schools; o develop a survey instrument that measures the interest and motivation of girls for continuing their study of science in high school and pinpoint their needs/frustrations in their current science classes.
