2016-2017 KGSC Mini-Grant Awardees Announced
The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative is pleased to announce the 2016 Mini-Grant Awardees. For more details on each of the projects KGSC funded, please see the project summaries below.
COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN FOR GIRLS
EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
Project Leader: Ni Wang
Collaborating Program: Eastern Kentucky University, Model Laboratory High School, Model Laboratory Middle School
Project Overview
The purpose of this project is to show female students that computer aided design can be a good option for their future career. There is no gender difference in this area. Girls can be very good at CAD design if trained properly.
To achieve this purpose, products which are closely related to girls (pink vase, bike, helmet, sofa, doll..) are to be designed and proto-typed to show students that CAD is for everyone’s daily life.
Female students will also be invited to the Department of Applied Engineering and Technology to have three meetings. During these meetings students will have opportunities to learn the basic skills of computer aided design and experience the prototyping using a 3D printer.
During these three meetings students also can communicate with female students who major in engineering and technology and female faculties who work in STEM area.
All these activities will help to stimulate the students’ interest in applied engineering topics.
GIRLS IN ENGINEERING, MATH, AND SCIENCE DAY AT WESTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
GIRL SCOUTS OF KENTUCKIANA
Project Leader: Carolyn Cromer
Collaborating Programs: Western Kentucky University’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering, and SkyTech.
Project Overview
Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana (GSK) is partnering with Western Kentucky University’s Ogden College of Science and Engineering to offer a “Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science” day for Girl Scouts in the Bowling Green area (GEMS). Girl Scouts from 2nd to 12th grade will come to WKU’s campus to interact with women science, engineering and math mentors and to participate in hands-on STEM activities. Our goal is to inspire and support girls to pursue STEM classes and careers as well as boost their confidence, to try new things even if they might fail, and to work together to solve problems.
OUT OF THIS WORLD THURSDAYS
EASTERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY
Project Leader: Aida Bermudez
Project Overview
Out-of- this-World Thursdays are designed to provide engaging, educational, hands on, and scientific learning experiences for children who will be attending Kindergarten through Middle School. Participants would watch a planetarium show with a star talk and then complete the activity. We have selected to implement this program during the summer because parents are looking for activities for kids to do outside the house.
We want to provide this opportunity for the families who we serve during the summer of 2017 with new and improved activities as well as consider implementing such activities into our services throughout the year.
EMPOWERING YOUNG WOMEN: EXPLORING STEM!
PIKEVILLE COLLEGE
Project Leader: Crystal Smallwood
Collaborating Program: Pikeville College Outreach, KEEP – Kentucky Electronics Education Project
Project Overview
Our female students come from a once-thriving coal-mining community that has been devastated by the loss of income and industry. With over 82% qualifying for free and reduced lunches, these children are in great need of a high-quality education. Education and shared resources will be their ticket out of poverty. Our girls need to gain confidence in STEM subjects. After completing this project, they will learn about potential careers in STEM.
PROJECT EDGES
WEST KENTUCKY COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Project Leader: Charles Kunnecke
Collaborating Programs: Paducah Chamber of Commerce, Lourdes Hospital, Baptist Health, Fluor, Ingevity, University of Kentucky College of Engineering, Business Education Partners, Arkema, Inc., HDR/ICA Engineering, Turner Communications, Paducah-River City BPW, Sylvan Learning Center, Wellsprings Dermatology, NSF, SWE, The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative, National Girls STEM Collaborative Project, and Challenger Learning Center
Project Overview
The purpose of this request is to support, as well as, expand the outreach efforts of STEM education and interest to middle and high school female students in the region beyond the annual one day event currently held at WKCTC in November.
By expanding the Girls Collaborative Conference, WKCTC and partners are investing in our region by increasing engagement of girls in STEM subjects, encouraging mentoring to support women throughout their academic and professional experiences, and supporting efforts to keep women in the STEM workforce. The benefits provided to the community through the middle and high school girls via Project EDGES is a long lasting investment in business and industry, the school systems, and the economy.
CHANDLER’S GIRLS CAN!
CHANDLER’S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
Project Leader: Sheila Cunningham
Collaborating Programs: University of Kentucky College of Engineering Paducah Campus, E-day, National Society of Professional Engineers, Logan Aluminum, Champion Pet Foods, and Riley White Drugs
Project Overview
During engineering week in 2017, Kindergarten through eighth grade girls enrolled in Chandler’s School and female staff members will spend an afternoon of fun investigations, experiments, social activities, and communication with female STEM role models from our community.
Additionally, girls will collaborate with team members and female staff in afterschool sessions to prepare for and attend E-day 2017 at the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Paducah Campus.
GIRL SCOUTS MAKERS CLUB
GIRL SCOUTS OF KENTUCKIANA
Project Leader: Mellisa Blankenship
Collaborating Program: Mercy STEM Academy
Project Overview
Explore the power of Making in our new girls only Maker Club! From coding, to 3-D Printing and E-Textiles girls will uncover a variety of STEAM concepts at MakerPlace. Each week girls will learn a new skill or technique facilitated by Kentucky Science Center educators and peer mentors from Mercy Academy’s STEM program to build confidence in their Maker abilities. A culminating open house will be held to allow the girls who participated in the Girl Scout Maker Club to showcase to Girl Scouts and their families statewide the power and creativity of the Maker Movement.
GURUS FOR GIRLS
ELIZABETHTOWN COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Project Leader: Susan Ryan
Project Overview
The overarching idea of this mini-grant project is connection. The word “guru” is used to indicate a mentoring-like relationship. Some of the mentoring relationships are between professionals and students. However, many of the gurus used in this project are older students encouraging younger students. Older students are often encouraged themselves when they have the opportunity to serve as a role model, giving a double impact to this project.
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY SUMMER CAMP
BIG SANDY COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE
Project Leader: Susan Scott
Collaborating Programs: East Kentucky Science Center (EKSC), The Challenger Center of Hazard, and the Floyd County Public Library.
Project Overview
The 2017 two-day camp will provide 30 students of primarily girls in grades 5th through 8th with a hands-on, inquiry-based learning program with a special emphasis on electronics, engineering, technology, and physics. By experimenting and utilizing the scientific method and problem solving skills, students will explore the basics of classical mechanics, mechanical engineering, circuitry, and programming. The materials purchased for this summer camp will be used to engage more and more students in the coming years through the East Kentucky Science Center’s classroom and outreach programs.
GIRLS ENGINEERING TIME
UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE
Project Leader: Mike Miller
Collaborating Program: Winner’s Circle Robotics
Project Overview
This year we seek funding to expand this effort and reach more high school girls, and give them a chance to look at Engineering, Marketing, and Business as it relates to designing a product. Starting this fall GET plans to embark on a long-term project offering terrific learning opportunities to its members: building a solar powered remote-controlled plane capable of flying from Louisville to Lexington (60 miles). We may only fly 1 or 2 miles physically, but we should be able to prove feasibility that the plane is capable of the sustaining flight 60 miles if we could track it and control/navigate it from a moving vehicle. The team has been provided space for design meetings by University of Louisville (U of L) Engineering School and has obtained partial funding from Winner Circles Robotics, Inc.
The team is coached by GET’s primary mentor, Research Engineer, Mike Miller, with the help of 6 other mentors, five of them female, four of them Uof L engineering students, and two of them graduates.
About KGSC
The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Project brings together organizations and programs that are committed to informing and motivating girls to pursue educational choices in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to build a strong, diverse workforce in Kentucky.
