| Girls Get IT! Newsletter |
Volume II Issue
IV
November 2007 |
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| Explore ~
Educate ~
Empower |
|
 Board of Champions Meeting and
Kick-Off Conference- An Overwhelming
Success!!
On November 8th and 9th, the
Florida Girls Collaborative Project (FGCP) and Girls Get It! (GGIT!)
held our first Board of Champions meeting and Kick-Off Conference in
Tampa, Florida at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI).
The Board of Champions meeting marked the beginning of
many face-to-face interactions between esteemed board
members who include private industry, k-20 education
officials and community based organizations from across the state of
Florida. Items discussed included a session on how the program
directory and mini-grants work for those involved and how they would
be dispersed, a session on strategic planning and goals for the
future of the project, and a session on our subcommittees for our
participants on our Board of Champions.
Many respected people and companies were present
either in person or via conference call during our Board of
Champions meeting. We are excited to show the state of Florida what
we have planned and what we have already accomplished with this
initiative. We will keep you updated on our
progress!
The Kick-Off Conference was an entire day filled with
speakers, an esteemed panel, and break-out sessions to go over the
program directory, mini grants, current Florida data, and tips on
recruitment and outreach. Many community based
organizations from the Tampa and St. Petersburg area displayed their
goods to showcase their program in order to connect with others. The
panel was filled with respected participants from organizations such
as NASA, Raytheon, Cisco, Florida Community College of Jacksonville,
and the Girl Scouts.
Overall, the entire event was a
complete success! We
will also host many other events in cities across Florida in the
near future. Our next one is currently being planned for the spring
in Orlando. Stay tuned for more information!! To find out more about the
Florida Girls Collaborative Project, Click
Here!!
NOTE: One of the major goals
of the Florida Girls Collaborative Project and the Girls Get
IT! initiative is to
maintain the interest and participation of girls in STEM fields of
study through the power of collaboration and by building regional
capacity of girl-serving organizations and services. All of which is part of a national effort
funded by the National
Science Foundation. Elements of this
project will document and promote coordination and collaboration
among girl serving STEM programs in Florida and establish an
on-going communication system linking these
organizations. |
FCR-STEM Launches a
Female and Minority Initiative!
One of our partners, The Florida Center for Research in
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (FCR-STEM) at
Florida State University has launched a Female and Minority
Initiative created to develop a long-term, comprehensive plan to
increase the participation and success of Florida's female and
minority students in STEM education and STEM fields.
Since Spring 2007, FCR-STEM has convened an advisory
panel to help guide the process and identify K-20 education,
research, and business stakeholders to develop the plan. The center
also prepared initial drafts of two reports to inform the planning
process: (1) a summary of trends in female and minority STEM
course-taking, achievement and degree attainment from K-12 through
postsecondary education in Florida, and (2) a summary of research on
the achievement, choice, and persistence of females and minorities
in STEM education.
On November 13-14, 2007, a diverse workgroup of 50
members met in Orlando to begin examining policies, programs and
strategies that hold promise for increasing Florida's female and
minority representation in STEM courses and STEM fields. Members
included representatives of Florida's school districts, community
colleges, universities, businesses, department of education and
similar initiatives outside Florida. Leah Cook, Project Director
for Girls Get IT! was
among the distinguished group and stated, "We got more done in two
days than I imagined and the energy among the workgroup participants was
phenomenal, however there is still much to do."
FCR-STEM is currently preparing a report of the
workgroup's discussion and recommendations, which will be reviewed
by the advisory panel at its second meeting in January 2008. The
workgroup will reconvene in late March to provide more input on the
plan and identify potential measures of its success.
Questions about the FCR-STEM Female and Minority
Initiative should be addressed to Faye Jones, program manager, at
fjones@admin.fsu.edu. For additional information, including a
list of advisory panel and workgroup participants, Click
Here! |
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Girls
Get IT! Website Gets Face Lift!
 The Girls Get IT! website is
currently getting a face lift. It is being revamped and refurbished
to make it more informative and user-friendly. New features will be
added and old features will be upgraded. The new, more accessible
website is currently under construction and will be available
soon.
The new website will feature several upgrades,
including updated and current news about Girls Get IT! and the
Florida Girls Collaborative Project. Up-to-date information about
upcoming and recent events will also be easily accessible. News
about STEM education, Girls Get IT!, The Florida Girls Collaborative
Project, other grants, or any collaborating organizations will
be available to anyone who is interested.
The renovated website will also feature an archive of
all past issues of the Girls Get IT! Newsletter. It will also
provide an easy way, for those who are interested, to sign up to
become a member or receive the newsletter.
Fun and helpful links will be available on the
refurbished website. These links will include all kinds of way for
teachers, parents, and girls to promote and enjoy STEM education.
Lesson plans, fun games, and activities, all revolving around STEM
education will be available at the click of a
button.
Girls Get IT! has also created an Activities CD that
will be available on the new website. It is full of fun and
educational activities, perfect for teachers looking for help with
lesson plans, parents looking for ways to keep their kids busy, and
girls looking to expand their horizons. All of the activities are
STEM related and meet specified educational standards and
benchmarks. Look for us after the new year!
Though our website is currently under construction,
our Myspace page is up and running. Check it out and add us as a
friend! Click
Here!! |
|
To
visit GGIT! please click
here | |
 If you would
like to forward this newsletter
to a friend, Click
Here! |
Cool
Career: Web Designer
What did you do today? Did you play
games? Read the news? Go shopping? Chat with your friends? Send
mail? And let me guess - you didn't even have to leave your computer
to do any of those activities. Almost everything we do on a
day-to-day basis can be done via the internet. But how did those
activities even get on
your computer screen in the first place you ask? Well there are
people who create those websites we visit all of the time called web
designers.
Web designers use their imaginations along with
computer programs to help construct new website ideas and bring them
to life. They use their creativity to pick out the best images and
colors to help make every website you visit interesting and fun.
They also write the messages that go into the websites, as well as
all the technical stuff (such as "links" that direct you to other
web pages) so you can click around each site to find what you are
looking for.
Web design is an awesome job - and one of the best
parts about it is that since the internet is so new and
ever-evolving, lots of web designers teach themselves how to design
sites and just keep learning! Many web designers are young people
with little experience, but have big imaginations and a creative
drive that helps them excel at what they do. They are like artists
of the future who show off their creations using the
internet.
So, how can you
get started? Like most people, web designers start by using
computers at home and at school - bylooking things up, playing
games, and e-mail. You can even experiment by making your own
homepage (the first thing you come across in a Web site). Get
started! Click
Here! |
|
Want a Job When You
Graduate? |
Jobs for Florida's Graduates (JFG) is rooted in the
three R's - Rigor, Relevance & Relationships. JFG is the Florida
affiliate of Jobs for America's Graduates, Inc (JAG), a national
non-profit corporation established for the purpose of assisting
States in creating a stay-in-school and school-to-career transition
system for students of promise based on the JAG Model. The
foundation of all JAG programs is the 86 competency curriculum which
covers Career Development, Job Attainment Skills, Basic Work Skills,
Leadership and Self Development Skills, Personal Growth, Life
Survival Skills, and Workplace Survival Skills (all of which are
infused with core academic assignments). Furthermore, students
create and lead a student association in which they plan projects
that center on community service, leadership and team work.
In 2003, the US Department of Labor (USDOL) named
Jobs for America's Graduates (JAG) a Stay-in-School best
practice. The results for the last year are consistent with the
previous 26 year track record and they are
compelling:
- A 94% graduation rate across the 30 States currently
offering the JAG program and, from 1998-2003, JFG enjoyed a 95%
graduation rate.
- Nearly 40% rate of enrollment in post secondary education
after high school and, in Florida, 66% of the classes of 2003
& 2004 are in college.
- 82% of the 7,000 employers that have hired a JAG alumnus
would hire another JAG student over any other young person that
they interviewed according to a US Chamber of Commerce study.
Finally, independent
third-party research, also funded by the USDOL, shows that JAG
affiliates have one of the highest impacts ever recorded in helping
the poorest minority youth from single-parent homes in getting and
keeping a job. The increased value ranges from 40% - 102% academic,
work and life skills improvement for economically disadvantaged
African American and Hispanic youth.
JFG operates programs in middle schools, high schools,
alternative schools, community colleges, juvenile justice facilities
and one-stops throughout Florida. To find out more information, Click
Here! | |
|
Florida STEM Mini-Grants and Program
Directory
Do you have a collaborative idea within  STEM
education and need some additional funds to assist you? If so,
join our team and receive up to $1,000 for your support.
All you have to do is sign up to become part of our
statewide Program Directory, and collaborate with another
organization that is also in the Program Directory. It's that
easy! To sign up, follow the short instructions below and be on your
way to making connections you never thought you would!
For a
more in depth overview of our mini-grants, Click
Here!
SIGN
UP FOR THE FLORIDA STEM PROGRAM DIRECTORY
NOW!
The online Florida STEM Program Directory lists
organizations and programs that focus on motivating girls to pursue
education and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics
(STEM). The
purpose of the directory is to help organizations and individuals
network, share resources and collaborate on STEM-related projects
for girls.
Organizations that
serve young women and are interested in bringing more STEM resources
to them are also encouraged to sign up!
The
Directory contains program descriptions, resources available within
each organization, program and/or organization needs, and contact
information. What
better way to promote your program, resources and find other
organizations in your area to collaborate with?
Having Your Program Listed in the Directory Has
Several Advantages:
- Anyone with internet access can
find out about your program.
- You can view other programs in your
area and across the state.
- Your organization can do a search
and compare needs and resources in your area and across the state.
- Your organization is eligible for a
mini-grant for innovative projects.
Don't wait - Sign up
today!
Here's How:
Use the following instructions to create a new user
account and then enter a program's information into the NGCP
program directory.
- Click
Here!!
- Click "Register New User"
which is located on the far left.
- Fill
out the form and click "Submit"
- On
the next page, click "New Program"
- Fill out the form and click
"Submit"
That's It! Your program will
be listed and can be searched by anyone with access to the internet.
It's that
easy!
Once a new program's information has been submitted
and approved, it will appear in the public
Directory for anyone to search.
What better way to highlight the great work in
STEM that you are doing in your
community!
Note: In order to be eligible for mini grant
funding, your program MUST be listed in the Program Directory. Once listed, you are
encouraged to submit a proposal for consideration of funding. For mini grant submission
guidelines, Click
Here! |
|
The National Assessment of Education Process Results
Are In!
The 2006 results from the
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) were very
promising for future high school students. The report stated that
reading scores for 4th graders and math scores for
4th and 8th graders were higher than ever
before. There is also a narrowing of the persistent achievement gap
between minority and white students.
Although there is major progress happening in our
education system, there was something rather disconcerting. Only 30%
of students scored above average in 8th grade reading and
math. This brings about many questions of whether or not the
students are getting proper education in their earlier education
years. More states are raising their high school standards and
graduation requirements to ensure they are prepared for
postsecondary and career success. The NAEP results are a reminder
that many students aren't receiving the knowledge of the challenger
they will face in the future.
In addition to the NAEP, the National Assessment
Governing Board and the National Center for Education Statistics are
working to further analyze and enhance the requirements and
qualifications students must have in order to advance to either or
both postsecondary education and career success. To read the report in its
entirety, Click
Here! | |
What is
Girls Get IT?
Florida Girls Get IT is a partnership
between Florida Distance Learning Consortium, Cisco Systems,
Inc., Florida's Community College and University system to
create gender equity in the areas of Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) & Information Technology
(IT).
Why Does Florida Need This
Initiative?
To remain competitive,
Florida must offer a highly trained workforce. Nearly 75% of future
jobs in the United States will require the use of technology, yet
fewer than 33% of students in computer courses are female and women
comprise only 20% of IT professionals and 13% of
engineers.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Contact: Leah Cook,
Project Director
Phone:
850.922.3359
Fax: 850.922.3109
|
Useful Links for Teachers,
Students, & Parents
Teachers:
PBS
Find exciting
new teaching plan ideas and activities through PBS. Find new ways to
excite your students and stay informed about what programs they will
be running. Click
Here!
Rainforest
Maths
Discover fun and new math activities for your
students. This site includes activities that meet standards for
grades K-6. Click
Here!
Students:
Josie True
A free, NSF-sponsored adventure game
that features math and science activties. Click
Here!
Brain Cake
This website contains a "we
hear that" and a "girl to girl" section where girls tell their
stories and write down their thoughts on topics twice a month. It also includes a "she's
living it" section where women act as mentors to younger girls. Click
Here!
Parents:
The Foundation for a Better Life
Be inspired and pass it on. This
website hopes to inspire people to make values a part of their own
lives, and then to communicate the benefits to others.
Click
Here!
Get fun
activities and skill-building ideas for your kids in a variety of
subjects. Click
Here! |
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