Themes and Activities

Why Girls Only?

Saturday Science for Girls: The fourth Saturday of every month is for girls only. Last summer I taught summer camp workshops in several areas of the natural and physical sciences. I was surprised to find that among the applicants, approximately 80% were young boys 8-11 years old. The ratio in the workshops tended to be either all boys or one or two girls to four boys. The boys, with their wonderful enthusiasm and self-confidence, tended to dominate the workshops. The girls tended to hang back and focus on their own work. Although the girls’ caution and reflectiveness are also highly valuable characteristics in a scientist, they can be overshadowed by a predominantly male workgroup. I began to wonder how it would be to have all-girl workshops, to create an environment where girls had the space to play and ponder, to create and explore in the spirit of scientific inquiry.

According to a National Science Foundation study on Gender in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Programs, girls and boys early in their school career show no difference in their curiosity and interests in these fields. Yet, by the 8th grade, boys are twice as likely as girls to be interested in STEM careers. What happens to girls and boys in their relationship to science in those years? It appears that the primary reason for girls losing interest in science is the girls’ loss of self-confidence and their own belief that they lack ability in these areas. Boys, meanwhile, benefit from a positive bias in these areas. What can we do to give girls the opportunity to freely explore their interests, bypassing pre-conceived concepts and prejudices? We can encourage girls to remain curious about the world and follow their interests in science and critical thinking, in a setting which does not frustrate and hinder them.

Darwin’s Workshop’s Science Saturday for Girls creates a supportive environment where girls have an opportunity to explore science and participate in activities that increase their skills and their self confidence. In an all-girl environment, girls, who may in the past have been inhibited from freely asking questions and exploring scientific concepts, are free to blossom. They are free to explore and learn in an environment designed especially for them.

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