ALAMEDA, Calif., April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The USS Hornet Museum has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the VWR Foundation to launch "We Can Do It!" - an engineering camp for middle-school girls. We Can Do It! engages middle-school girls in engineering activities aboard the USS Hornet to build science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills and encourage pursuit of STEM careers.
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This grant will fund a pilot program, including some scholarships, giving girls the opportunity to learn about various engineering fields through classroom activities coupled with exploring real-world engineering examples onboard the ship, hands-on building, and design challenges. Local women engineers will also be invited to share their experiences and serve as role-models for students. Dates for the program have not yet been determined, but it will be launched within the next year.
"Middle school is a critical point to keep girls interested in STEM, since many lose interest around this time. We hope this program will not only spark their interest in engineering, but give them the tools and confidence to pursue it," said Charlotte Rodeen-Dickert, STEM Education Coordinator at the Museum.
This project will be the latest in several new STEM programs recently introduced, including a pilot after-school GATE (California Gifted and Talented Education) program with Paden Elementary in Alameda, an a engineering summer camp through Alameda Park and Recreation Department (registration through Alameda Park and Recreation), and "STEM Night Ops" – a science themed youth overnight.
About Night Ops: Introducing NIGHT OPS- STEM Themed School Overnight (K-12)
During the Night Ops Overnight students will visit selected areas of the ship to show various spaces and systems and discuss the science and engineering behind them. As the students move around the ship, they will participate in several "Hands-On" Science stations and demonstrations by our STEM Team to illustrate the science behind the USS Hornet.
Since 2011, the USS Hornet Museum's STEM-to-Stern programs have used the engineering marvel of the ship as a platform for teaching STEM. Spaces and equipment from the forecastle anchor chains to the engine room turbines, as well as the museum's aircraft collection, illustrate STEM concepts in a historical setting. Volunteer and staff instructors share their knowledge of the workings of the ship to provide a context for science, as well as perspective on the evolution of technology. More about the ship's STEM programs can be found here including scholarship opportunities. https://www.uss-hornet.org/youth-education/
Media contact:
Heidi Schave
USS Hornet Museum
(510) 521-8448, ext. 224
Email
SOURCE USS Hornet Museum
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