girlsscienceclub2

                                                     History

In 1992, the American Association of University Women reported in How Schools
Shortchange Girls that girls’ confidence in mathematics and science drops
significantly as they reach adolescents. This report also highlighted the failure of
education to engage and promote the study of math and science for girls in the
fifth and sixth grades. A subsequent report in 2000 from the U.S. Commission on
Civil Rights suggested that women do not enjoy the same educational
opportunities as men in pursuit of scientific and technical careers. This report,
the Equal Educational Opportunity and Nondiscrimination for Girls in Advanced
Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, further outlined the disparities
that continue to exist between the sexes in standardized test scores and access
to advanced math and science courses.
Today, our school system still fosters a climate where girls bring less confidence
to their work in math and science than do boys, an attitude that appears to be
reinforced by their teachers. To address this gender inequity the Lewis H. Latimer
Society and its female interns formed a committee with the Chelsea-based
Alkermes Pharmaceutical Company’s female adult engineers. Their goals were to
counter the cultural exclusion that girls and young women face upon entering
these disciplines and to set an agenda to combat this exclusion. In 2008, the
committee created an after school science club for girls, called the Girls
Acknowledgement Math, Engineering, and Science (G.A.M.E.S) program, to
introduce the girls to excitement of hands-on, inquiry based science.

                                     ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Girls Acknowledgment Math Engineering Science (G.A.M.E.S) program is an after
school program developed by the Lewis H. Latimer Society. G.A.M.E.S program
consists of a science club format. The G.A.M.E.S program is open to any young girl
in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth grade. The G.A.M.E.S program currently operates
every Thursday from 3pm to 5pm, and is taking new applicants.
The G.A.M.E.S. Program is based in the Chelsea Hall of Science - a partnership of
the Latimer Society and the Chelsea Public Library.

**During the Winter, if there is a snow day on the day that the G.A.M.E.S program is
occurring, then the session for that day is also cancelled, and will resume the week
after.

                                     MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the G.A.M.E.S program is to increase the participation of girls and
women in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (S.T.E.M) in Chelsea.

                                          THE PROGRAM

Girls Acknowledgment Math Engineering Science (GAMES) consist of numerous
clubs. Each club is composed of 8-12 girls from the Kindergarten through 8th
grade, and is lead by one or two female scientist/ mentors and one or two lab
technicians. The clubs emphasize informal learning experiences in the physical
sciences (e.g. Chemistry, Biology, and Physics) and engineering making
connections between the science the girls are doing and real life applications.
Through GAMES, the girls engage in a wide range of hands-on, project-based
activities such as bridge building, e.t.c. The girls are encouraged to bridge the
gender barrier by learning how to use tools and expanding on their manual
dexterity skills. As they problem solve, with guidance of their scientist/mentors,
the girls open new avenues of possibility for themselves and build the
confidence they need to explore the possibilities.
Girls also use journals to write and draw pictures of their experiences, which
encourage reflection and are also a way for them to communicate with their
mentors. Journals are also used to facilitate discussion about their gender
issues. The women scientist are encouraged to write back to their girls about the
journal entries, so that the journals become true avenues of communication.

                                  **NEW PARTNERSHIP!!**

The Lewis Latimer Society has formed a NEW and EXCITING partnership with The
Harvard Museum of Natural History. Starting on February 2, 2009 representatives
from the Harvard Museum of Natural History will be running a workshop for the
G.A.M.E.S Program. On February 20, 2009 the girls attending the program will be
going to the museum! On March 2, 2009 another workshop will be run by the
Harvard Museum of Natural History.

                 Harvard Museum of Natural History Trip

The Lewis Latimer Society's G.A.M.E.S program is one of the special groups
chosen to work closely with the museum in an ongoing out of school
collaboration funded by Distrigas/GDFSuez. The Harvard Museum of Natural
History staff has already visited in Chelsea to work with the girls on the program,
and the visit on Friday, February 20th was the Latimer students' first visit to the
Harvard Museum of Natural History near Harvard Square. Julie Vallimont, an
education specialist of the Harvard Museum of Natural History, worked with the
girls of the G.A.M.E.S program, touring the exhibition, and letting them touch live
animal specimens in the museum classroom. Ronald Robinson, director of the
Lewis H. Latimer Society, as well as Mary J. McKenzie, the Chelsea City Public
Health Nurse and scientist mentor of the G.A.M.E.S program, accompanied the
students of the G.A.M.E.S program. The city of Chelsea's councilor Matt Frank
stopped by the Harvard Museum of Natural History during the first museum visit
by the girls of the G.A.M.E.S program.
Matt Frank had this to say about the visit: "The girls all seemed to be having a
very good time. I heard many 'ooohs' and 'ahhhs' as they looked at all of the
animals. It is great that Distrigas/GDFSuez is giving the kids a chance to get
exposure to things like this - and it's great that the Latimer Society is making sure
that the girls get opportunities to participate in these valuable programs."

If you would like to sign your daughter(s) up for the G.A.M.E.S program, please
feel free to contact us at:

Phone: (617) 466-4350 Extension: 62103