Women in Biology Offers Seminar for Triangle Area Middle School Girls

If you live in the Triangle NC area and have a girl in grades 6-8, this announcement could be for you!  On Wednesday, October 26, the  RTP chapter of Women in Biology is sponsoring a Bioscience Career Leadership for Girls event at Biogen Idec, a local biotechnology firm with a focus on neurological disorders.  The FREE seminar, which is open ONLY to female students in 6-8th grades, is geared to increasing girls' knowledge about, and well as interest in, a career in biology.

After check-in at 3:45 PM, the students will spend from 4:00-6:00 getting a tour of the facility, discussing the research and other work done there, and listening to some other formal science-related presentations.  Then from 6:00-6:45 PM, the girls will have a pizza party with female professionals at Biogen Idec as well as other members of Women in Biology.  This will give them an informal opportunity to raise any questions related to educational requirements, personal characteristics, outside experiences, or other matters related to pursing a career in biology.

Student MUST pre-register in order to attend.  If you have a student in that grade range who would be interested, you can register them here via the WIB website.

The middle school years are a great time for students to be exploring careers and different types of workplaces, so this looks like it could be a great opportunity for that, even if your girl(s) doesn't end up in a science career.

Museum's Middle School Girls in Science Applications Due February 4, 2011

If you have a 6th or 7th grade girl who is passionate about science and who lives in Wake County, NC or one of the surrounding counties, you might want to look into the Girls in Science Neuse River Project sponsored by the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences.  This intensive 10-week program allows middle school girls to work individually with female scientists investigating issues related to wetlands and native species in North Carolina.  The weekly sessions, which take place from 3:30-5:30 each Tuesday afternoon (starting March 1), will include classes at the museum or other science institutions, field trips, and hands-on experiments in the field.  There is also an overnight stay at the Museum' Prairie Ridge facility, followed by an Open House presentation of the outcomes achieved on May 15.

To apply, download the form and schedule from the Museum's website (click here to go to that page).  The application includes an essay by the student, a personal recommendation from an adult not related to the student, and a recommendation from the girl's 6th grade science teacher (who I think can be related--at least, I know that homeschoolers have participated in this program).  If accepted, there is a $65 fee (mostly to cover equipment and the overnight stay) and an expectation that the student will attend all sessions.  The complete application is due IN the Museum by 5:00 on Friday, February 4.

I do have one friend whose daughter participated in this program, and they found it to be valuable.  So those of you with middle school girls whose schedules aren't TOO overloaded already might want to take advantage of what I'm sure is a high-quality program (at least, we've always been impressed with the quality of the classes we've taken through the Museum).