Grove City College sponsors Girls Rock Science

Grove City College is pleased to be a participating sponsor of Girls Rock Science Weekend Sept. 24 and 25, 2016, at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh.

The event is designed to interest girls in the pursuit of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) degree that leads to a career in the fields. With women making up about 50 percent of the workforce in the U.S., only 25 percent are engaged in STEM field careers. Grove City College is teaming up with the Carnegie Science Center for this special event to help reverse this trend through a wide range of programs. 

“We are excited to partner with the Carnegie Science Center to provide a range of STEM-focused, hands-on activities for girls of all ages,” Dr. Stacy Birmingham, dean of the Hopeman School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics at Grove City College, said. “Girls often receive messages that can discourage them from pursuing degrees and careers in the STEM disciplines – from talking Barbie dolls that say ‘math class is tough’ to ‘allergic to algebra’ T-shirts marketed to teen girls. Our goal is to give young women the confidence to look past these messages and to inspire them to follow their passions and dreams in the STEM fields.” 

Girls Rock Science Weekend features a series of fun, educational, inspiring and interactive activities to show the thousands of visitors to Carnegie Science Center that STEM education can be fun. In addition, girls and families will have the opportunity to meet Grove City College faculty and staff along to learn more about a STEM education with us in addition to meeting with working women in the STEM fields.

You’ll want to check out the hands-on demonstrations and interactive experiments brought to you by Grove City College faculty from the Hopeman School including:  

     • Dr. Michelle A. Clauss, chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and her students will help visitors design, build and race Popsicle stick boats with penny payloads in tow.
     • Susan M. Dreves, professor of Education, and her students will be conducting experiments with participants and demonstrating chemical reactions.
     • Dr. DJ Wagner, professor of physics, will use “rainbow glasses” to help kids explore the difference between LEDs and lasers, to distinguish gases and examine the atomic spectra.

Girls Rock Science activities, excluding Omnimax movies, are included with general admission. Activities will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days.

To learn more about the event, visit Girls Rock Science. To learn more about STEM opportunities at Grove City College, visit Hopeman School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics.