Source: Susan Arnold Christian, 785-532-6152, susanac@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Mary Rankin, 785-532-6715, mrankin@k-state.edu
Monday, June 11, 2007
ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE ACTIVITIES PLANNED FOR K-STATE GROW WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS
MANHATTAN -- How do roller coasters stay on their tracks? How does combustion provide useful energy?
These topics, plus a robotics competition, introduction to global positioning system technology, experiments to discover what causes allergies, exploring the wonders of geometry and more, are the sessions planned for sixth- and seventh-grade girls taking part in the eighth annual Girls Researching Our World -- or GROW -- Summer Workshop on the Kansas State University campus, June 18-20.
Young women from across Kansas and surrounding states interested in the sciences and engineering will participate in hands-on activities offered by K-State faculty, graduate students and staff members representing 16 different science and engineering departments. Several K-State undergraduate students will assist in the workshops and serve as mentors for the girls while they are on campus and living in the dorms.
"This year's program, once again, offers these young women a special opportunity to be introduced to careers in science and engineering that they might not have otherwise known existed," said Susan Arnold Christian, K-State Women in Engineering and Science Program outreach coordinator.
2007 Junior Advisory Panel members, all GROW graduates, have assisted in the planning by suggesting workshop topics and evening activities, and providing input on other details of the event. Secondary education teachers from across the state also will be in attendance, helping document the hands-on activities for future events and participating in discussions with Jacqueline Spears, director of the K-State Center for Science Education, about integrating science and engineering into their classrooms.
The GROW Program began in 1999 with a planning grant from the National Science Foundation, with the first summer workshop offered in 2000. A three-year grant was awarded in 2001, which allowed the program to continue offering the annual summer workshop as well as activities during the school year for middle school girls, as well as parents, teachers and school counselors.
The program continues to be supported financially through the K-State Women in Engineering and Science and Targeted Excellence programs.
Girls will be attending from the Kansas cities of Altoona, Basehor, Belleville, Bonner Springs, Cheney, Clay Center, Coffeyville, Coldwater, Courtland, Derby, El Dorado, Emporia, Fort Riley, Girard, Goodland, Grandview, Hiawatha, Holton, Junction City, Kansas City, Kan., Lawrence, Leavenworth, Leawood, Leonardville, Manhattan, McPherson, McPherson, Norton, Ottawa, Overland Park, Paola, Pittsburg, Quinter, Salina, St. Marys, Sylvan Grove, Tecumseh, Tonganoxie, Topeka, Wakefield, Wetmore, Wichita and Winfield. Also attending will be girls from San Francisco and Woodland, Calif., and Kansas City and Raytown, Mo.