About e-Girls
The gender gap in scientific professions persists despite efforts to encourage more girls to continue their studies past high school in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Research suggests that there are structural and cultural obstacles for the relative shortage of women in these professions. These include the:
- lack of female mentors and role models,
- attitudes about the sciences as a male field,
- perceptions that scientists work in isolated laboratories,
- counseling girls away from pursuing these studies in high school and beyond, and
- perceived responsibilities of parenthood, marriage, or family as in conflict with a STEM career.
It is the vision of the e-tools for Girls Investigating Real Life Sciences (e-GIRLS), formerly known as the Girls in Science Summer Day Camp (GSSDC), program to counteract these obstacles.
Mission Statement
Engage secondary girls in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines through hands-on summer camp experiences and web-mediated support during the academic year.
Goal One: Increase secondary girls’ self-efficacy regarding the STEM disciplines
Goal Two: Create and maintain a supportive virtual STEM community of secondary school girls, mentors, and practicing scientists using current and emerging information communication technologies that are readily available to all
Goal Three: Expand program as a model for engaging girls in diverse STEM disciplines
The program directors and staff believe that:
- Increased contact with practicing STEM professionals and the application of science and math to real world problems will enhance girls’ interest and motivation to pursue STEM careers.
- Interactions with women in successful STEM careers will encourage girls to see themselves as potential STEM professionals.
- Interest and motivation for learning STEM is best achieved through immersion in problems or projects that draw on the knowledge and skills of professionals in mathematics, technology, engineering, and the sciences.
- Positive experiences in the implementation of inquiry-based instructional strategies will increase teachers’ incorporation of these strategies into their regular school classrooms.
Read about us in the Arizona Daily Sun!
Dr. Loretta Mayer is the Co-Founder and Principal Investigator of the e-GIRLS (formerly Girls in Science Summer Day Camp) project. Her scientific research at Northern Arizona University’s Center for Applied Research in Environmental Endocrinology and at SenesTech, Inc. (a biotech company she co-founded) is of global importance. These stories illustrate her research and mentoring support for girls in real life sciences.
Dr. Mayer recently discovered what many of the great inventors of our time found before her: most of our greatest scientific observations come from looking for something else. While Mayer was studying heart disease in post menopausal women she stumbled upon a way to help solve the world hunger crisis. Follow this link to listen to, or read a transcript of, an interview with Loretta.
Her research laboratory at NAU offers opportunities for students (undergraduate and graduate) to get important hands-on experiences.
