SMART Girls Residential Program Set for July 11-14 at Penn College
Published 07.07.2004
Forty girls are expected on the Pennsylvania College of Technology campus July 11-14 to explore science and math in hands-on fashion during the College's fourth annual SMART Girls (Science and Math Applications in Real-World Technologies for Girls) summer program. The residential session is for young women entering ninth and 10th grades.
While applications no longer are being accepted for the July event, the SMART Girls programming will include workshops designed to expose students to career options in emerging technologies and to encourage a strong foundation in math and the sciences during high school.
At the top of the demand list this time is "Mystery at 123 Maple Avenue," a forensics workshop. In this session, girls will use fingerprints, "bloods," fibers and powders to work through a mystery and identify the suspect.
Other workshops include bridge engineering, a geology workshop and an exploration of microscopic organisms in water. The program also emphasizes various aspects of information and computer technology such as Adobe Illustrator, Macromedia Flash animation, Web design, computer-aided drafting and computer repair. The plumbing trade is featured, as are health occupations in dental hygiene and occupational therapy assisting.
Two field trips are scheduled. The girls will travel to State College to visit the Nanofabrication Facility, Pennsylvania Transportation Institute and University Creamery at The Pennsylvania State University. A trip to Penn College's Lumley Aviation Center at the Williamsport Regional Airport will give additional depth and further enrich the programming.
SMART Girls is an initiative devised by a group of faculty women and supported by the College to counter an alarming academic and societal pattern that shows women are less likely to pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. The College also offers one-day SMART Girls events for seventh- and eighth-grade girls in the fall and spring.
Pam Anderson, president of Anderson Construction of Chambersburg, will be the keynote speaker, addressing the girls and their parents at the final luncheon. Her topic will be "Building Strong Personal Foundations."
The girls' PowerPoint career-exploration projects will be displayed continuously in the College Library from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on July 14. All are welcome to stop by to view the results of their efforts.
Upcoming workshop dates for girls entering grades seven or eight are Nov. 6 and April 2. For more information about SMART Girls programs at Penn College, call (570) 327-4502, send e-mail or visit on the Web.