Science Club for Girls

I like supporting new generations and they do a good job in Cambridge.

I have worked with Science Club for Girls to organize tech programs for their middle and high school aged students. I am consistently impressed with the professionalism and passion of the team, and I am weekly re-energized by the curiosity and cleverness of the students.

My daughter started in Science Club for Girls when she was in kindergarten and continued through elementary school. She is now an early childhood teacher. The hands on learning from women in STEM she experienced in Science Club for Girls created a passion for STEM which she passes on now to her own students.

Science Club for Girls makes a powerful positive difference in the young women in the Boston Area.

My daughter participated in Science Club for Girls, since she was 4 years old, as a 'junior kindergartner'. She is now a Freshman in High School, with aspirations to be a Science Journalist. Science Club for Girls consistently encouraged and empowered my daughter and all of the other girls to reach for the stars. That the potential to shine and thrive are their reality. This afterschool program provided a haven for girls to meet, explore, share and support one another as they embarked on captivating, interesting projects. One of the highlights for my daughter was to have the opportunity to be a part of a giant 'sleepover' in Boston's Museum of Science!! Imagine! sleeping under the stars in a space near the museum's planetarium --interacting with girls, from all over the State. I'm so grateful for Science Club for Girls.

The Science Club for girls is fantastic! My daughter has learned a tremendous amount about science and engineering, and even more important she has female role models to emulate. The Club is diverse and my child meets children she would not ordinarily meet at school or in our neighborhood. The program is free and optional activities are very reasonable. The atmosphere is very positive and encouraging. Now that I think about it, I realize that the Science Club has not only been good for my daughter, it's been good for me as well!

My daughter has a really fun time learning about different aspects of science while conducting experiments and recording subsequent data along with other girls her own age. She enjoys herself so much she doesn't realize the education she receiving. I think it is so important that girls are exposed to science at an early age so that as they grow, it is their right and their due as students of life.

I worked for SCFG when I was in high school. It was a great experience giving young girls the encouragement and motivation they need to gain interest in science. The teamwork and social skills SCFG instills in the girls is much needed in the community and is no doubt setting them up for bright futures.

Science Club for Girls is such an incredible organization. The model encourages girls to actively engage in the STEM areas and to ask scientific questions about the world around them. I have had the opportunity to volunteer with the organization for a number of years and have enjoyed every minute I have spent with the SCFG staff, mentor scientists, junior mentors, and girls involved. Everyone is incredibly dedicated and enthusiastic to be apart of the program.

Both of my daughters have participated in Science Club for Girls for the past three years. They really enjoy it and even at their young age are learning real science. I'm impressed by how the group leaders can make these concepts fun and accessible to young kids. They come home energized and excited to talk about the experiments they did that week. As a parent I'm also extremely happy with email communications from the group. I always feel like they are handled very professionally and I know what to expect, whether my girls are registered, upcoming events, etc. We have also enjoyed the big science festival they have every year where the girls talk about their work and it's exciting to hear from the older girls and learn from them.

Science is very very interesting to me and I like to be able to share my interest with other girls, to show them that there is a lot of interesting things that can be done with simple everyday items. I think that this sparks curiosity that leads to innovation and creating solutions to problems and figuring problems.

This was my daughters first year doing SCFG. A friend of her's suggested it and she enjoyed every minute of it. I was impressed with the club's organization and planning. We rec'd a handout that explained what the girls would be working on each week and also after the club met a list of questions to help us provoke conversations with our children at home about their meeting. She was exposed to chemistry, physics and math. In kindergarten she worked with liquids, elasticity, viscosity and measuring! It was great.

SCFG inspires young girls to try new things, to think, to work in teams and to explore and develop talents that they might otherwise never have a chance to do. It is especially inspiring that girls who have started as young children in the program grow into junior mentors and earn more and more responsibility. They as well as the staff of SCFG are role models for girls, both in the fields of science and technology but also in the development of confidence and life skills.

Science Club for Girls has been my daughter's favorite after-school program for three years now -- Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade! She's learned so much hands-on science, and comes home excited to show us her experiments and explain how everything works. Mentors and junior mentors make it fun and are outstanding role models. The annual "Everybody Loves Science" celebration gives the girls a chance to show the world what they've learned, and they absolutely rise to the challenge of explaining their work to the guests. We are so grateful to this organization. Thanks, SCFG!

I'm involved in a variety of ways, initially as a client served (for my daughter Jasmine), but since then as a volunteer/adviser/donor. SCFG is a fantastic organization that is making a huge impact for girls in Massachusetts, and now for a growing group of girls in Ghana. Connie is an inspiration, and I'm convinced many others will believe in their strategies in promoting Girls STEM opportunities.

I am a Teen Mentor for Science Club for Girls. I really love it. I taught kindergarteners this year, and it was so much fun to teach science to these little girls. They love being able to learn new, neat things, like how to convert materials into slime. I felt great being able to do this for them.

Science Club for Girls is a great organization! My daughter who is a very shy 6 year old started going to SCFG in the fall. It has been a wonderful experience for her. She usually does not prefer group extra curricular programs. However, this was not the case with this program. She stuck with it and to my amazement even wanted to go back for the spring session. The program is nurturing her love for science while building her self-confidence. Thanks SCFG!!! We will definitely be back for the 2012-2013 program.

My 6 year old daughter attended the Science Club for Girls on Saturday mornings at Northeastern University. She loved coming and making friends with girls from other communities. The young women who taught the classes loved what they were doing and the girls really responded to them. SCFG isa fantastc opportunity for young girls to be exposed to more math and science programs. We can't wait to do it again. Thank you. - Katie O'Brien, parent of a participant.

As a resident and as a school board member in Cambridge, I am grateful that Science Club for Girls exists in our city. The model of exposing young girls to science through interactive activities, of giving older girls a chance to serve as junior teachers and role models, and recruiting working women scientists to work with both sets of girls is an incredible effective combination. The result is a program that fulfills multiple worthy goals. SCFG helps address a glaring lack of scientific literacy in general in our country. SCFG also provides a direct positive experience for girls, who despite years of attempts to encourage involvement in science still lag in almost every scientific profession. Plus adults in the community get a chance to interact with young people, and to learn more about the incredible potential in many of our students. I do believe boys deserve encouragement, too. however, the need for an explicity focus on girls in science is clear. SCFG is a terrific nonprofit that benefits our students and our whole community.

SCFG is building an incredible community of tiered mentoring for girls in science. They have an amazing metric and helping girls (usually the first in their families to go to college) see themselves as possible scientists! Scientists mentor older girls who mentor younger girls. It is an amazing chain of leadership development. The rainbow colors of the girls at an event shows you what a difference this growing organization can make in future for diversity in the science.

I was a mentor scientist for a kindergarten classroom for a semester, and walking into (and then out of! phew) that school was the highlight of my week. SCFG is an exciting, organized, and inspiring organization that encourages girls to get their hands dirty and be excited about learning. While no longer in the Boston area, I still find myself supporting this organization each month because I know what an amazing job they do and the minimal resources they require to effect their change - simply put, I'm proud to have been involved with SCFG.

My daughter has attended SCFG since she was in kindergarten ( 3 years) and it has been the best experience. She loves it and learns so much. The experiments are fabulous and it fills a missing gap in her education. I recommended it to all my friends with girls. It's a quality program.

My daughter has enjoyed every science experiment. It was a great learning expereince that has increased her passion about Science.

Science education among girls is rare. From an early age, girls are discouraged by their peers and sometimes even their families from following a scientific path. As the grandparent of a girl who has a keen interest in science, I've been aware that her time is coming Grade school science classes can be dull and uninspired, teachers don't have enough resources to teach science in a fun and engaging way. Science Club for Girls can help fill that need as well as encourage girls like my granddaughter to study science and change the world for the better. With the knowledge that other girls like science too, many girls would have pursued a career in science!

The Girls Science Club attends the needs of curious, engaged girls. They nurture the love and curiosity for learning and encourage little girls to follow paths that are still perceived as masculine and male dominated. The older girls who have outgrown the program come back to lead younger girls. What a powerful thing for a teenager that to be the guide for someone else. The little girls look up to these kids and learn that learning is a cool thing. I believe GSC is doing something great and I wish more girls could get involved in the program.

My daughter and I came to know the 'Science Club for Girls' at a Lego-Robotic-Competition. My then 9-year-old daughter was the only girl in her team and her (male) teacher - while all in all supportive - seemed to prefer the boys. She was so thrilled talking to the young women from the 'Science Club for Girls'. They patiently answered all of her questions and encouraged her to keep on doing what she was exited about despite being in the minority as the only girl among boys.

What a great, positive, heart warming experience for my daughter! She just LOVES it and would not miss it for anything!

Science Club for Girls is a magical group. My daughter believes in herself every day she comes home. It is so empowering for her to women and girls of color playing intelligent, capable, and inspirational roles. She has enjoyed sleepovers at the Boston Museum of Science and the New England Aquarium. I tell as many parents of girls about this program as I can.

The Science Club for Girls has had such a positive influence on my two daughters. They are so excited every Saturday to meet their friends and classmates. The instructors make the class fun and entertaining and my two daughters really loved writing in their journals after each class. For me, this club has been a Godsend. I just hope they will get accepted in the fall so they can continue to flourish and foster a passion for science! My name is Lena Sheehan and I think Science Club for Girls is one of the best clubs I have ever been involved with.

I served as a Senior Lecturer at MIT from 1997-2007 and got involved with SCFG during its formative years. Working initially with the SCFG founders (Ms. McGowan and others) and then with Connie Chow, I initiated the SCFG Rocket Club, with generous support from MIT and the Massachusetts/NASA Space Grant Consortium. I was extraordinarily pleased with the extremely focused and attentive participation of the SCFB Rocket Club team members, and being able to see the young students working so well both individually and in small teams was an extremely rewarding mentorship experience for me. SCFG offers totally unique and enrichening educational experiences overall, and I feel very lucky to have worked with SCFG and the Rocket Club for several years until my departure from MIT in 2007. Peter Young, Col, USAF (Ret.)

Volunteering with SCFG gave me the experience of learning how to communicate science to a younger audience than I had previously. As a volunteer I felt supported, appreciated, and like I was doing something good for local girls. I only wish I could have been able to volunteer for longer.

I have been a volunteer with SCFG for 3 academic semesters now. I have had a wonderful time working with kindergarteners at the King Open School site and this past year working with second graders at Northeastern's site. Everyone at SCFG is passionate about science and children. It is very inspiring and rewarding to be part of such a positive organization.

Our 5 year old daughter has been introduced to Science in a playful, fun and educational manner and in a setting that she obviously loves. She is sharing basic things that she's learnt with us and will probably always see science as an interesting and fun topic that should she wish to pursue it, it completely accessible to her.

I volunteered as a mentor scientists with SCFG a few semesters now and I love it! The girls in my club develop are eager to learn and they always have a good time. My junior mentors are developing all kinds of skills that will be useful as they graduate middle or high school and figure out what they will be doing with their futures.

Science Club for Girls is my daughter, Melanie's favorite out of school program. She looks forward to the mentorship provided by the effervescent staff and to connect with the girls in her group. Since joining SCFG my daughter is excited to learn and not afraid to challenge herself mentally. I've even seen her knowledge transfer into her regular school experience. And I can rest easy knowing that my daughter won't be scared of science the way her momma was!

I became involved in Science Club for Girls after meeting the Executive Director Connie Chung at an event that I do not recall otherwise. The design of Science Club for Girls is unique in that girls begin the program at a very young age and as the grow up with the program, they mentor younger girls as they continue their own research. This is how science works in the "real world" where being able to teach is as important as being able to learn. Teaching requires true understanding and also builds confidence which is useful in any field that the girls will eventually choose to pursue.

My daughter has been involved with SCFG for 8 years (since kindergarten). I remember being so impressed that at 6 she understood the concept of representing data in a bar chart. It was so far beyond the first grade curriculum in her school. Over the years, she has had hands on experience with all kinds of science experiments, met and learned from a wide range of women scientists, and had the benefit of seeing all kinds of girls interested and engaged in science. This is the type of program that should be available to all girls everywhere!

Science Club for Girls provides science mentorship for girls from kindergarten through 12th grade. This program focuses on girls who will be the first in their family to attend college and has 100% success at helping girls of color and girls who will the first in their family to attend college, gain college scholarships.

Science Club for Girls utilizes volunteers at all levels of its operation from placing scientists as roll models and volunteers to teach clubs, to using professionals in organizational development to advise the board on expansion models.

Alumni from this program are active volunteers as well and some have started new clubs.

This volunteer opportunity has also been personally gratifying and I have employed girls from the program in my after school math programs.

SCG has a tremendous impact on the lives of young girls in poor urban areas. It offers them free programs designed to build their confidence about, and interest and skills in, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It reaches hundreds of girls every year.

I have assisted many nonprofits in defying and delivering on their missions. Hands down, science club for girls is the most unique, dedicated, effective and cost effective organization I have worked with. This program inspires girls in science, sisterhood, and self confidence. It improves science literacy. It creates a new path for the girl and for her family as she begins to view college as a viable option and then excels at that goal! The girl is on a new path. Her family is on a new path. She sets a new example in the community. I am so proud to be able to assist this much recognized, well run organization with a cost per girl served half that of other local programs. A dedicated staff and working Board complete the picture!

My name is Elizabeth Thomas and my daughter Dominique completed her first session with Science Club for girls. she truly is fascinated by all things science and with the big push to encourage girls to get interested this has been the perfect avenue for her. She is looking forward to the Science club for girls camp this summer and all the fun things she will continue to learn. This truly has been an eye-opening experience that has planted seeds and further increased her desire to want to get involved in the world of science. What a lovely opportunity this is for her and for all the girls who particpate.

I am a scientist. I received my PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard Medical School in 2009. As one of only 4 women in my class I can personally attest to the dearth of women in science. Many believe that a path towards a scientific career is hindered by a woman's need to get married, start a family etc. But I couldn't disagree more. The reason more women do not become scientists is because there aren’t enough women mentors out there to tell us that science is NOT hard and that we can achieve whatever we set our minds to. I wish someone had told me that when I was 5 years old! Science Club for Girls does just that: a remarkable afterschool program for K-12 girls where real women scientists (PhDs, MDs, etc.), some of us right in the middle of our careers, take time out to become those mentors to these amazing girls.... and in the meantime do some cool science too! In addition, the program is also designed so that girls that finish the curriculum have a chance to get involved as teaching assistants; thereby feeding the mentor-student cycle, a critical part in building self-confidence and foster success. I am a strong believer that SCG (and other programs like it) will change the face of science. Go pink lab coats!

SCFG is a great environment for girls organized in a way to engage girls with a lot of activities, that helps them to express themselves, learn science and explore their lives involving science. Girls take part in practical, hands on science activities, think and talk about science by sharing their results in a variety of different ways.

Throughout my time at SCFG I worked directly with Connie, the executive director. My internship at SCFG, was honestly one of the most gratifying and educational I’ve ever had. I have interned at other nonprofits but none have the work ethic I found at SCFG. Although my peer and I worked from school or home and met with Connie once a week Connie was always responsive to and interested in our work and ideas. During my time there I felt as a member of the SCFG community so I went visit and photograph the SCFG’s programs.

I found that while my girls were skeptical at first regarding what they might offer (being high school students), the staff immediately made them feel useful and resourceful. Working with younger girls empowering them and inspiring them to feel that science was fun, ended up empowering my girls and giving them a sense of confidence and confirmation that they were indeed interested in science. Having it be a "science club for girls" also helped them to incorporate science into their identity and sense of self. Both my girls were initially relatively shy. I believe that participating in the SCG gave them leadership skills in that they were given the opportunity to contribute to the learning and inspiring of younger girls. The volunteers also received training and support and were provided with special outreach opportunities geared towards their needs (for example they were given the opportunity to shadow a college student who was studying science to get a better sense of their next steps. Both my girls wrote about the organization in their college applications and they both have followed a course of study in science -- one in neuroscience, the other in environmental sciences. I believe that their involvement in the Science Club for Girls was very instrumental in helping to develop their confidence, to reinforce their interest in science and to explore what it might be like to be a woman in science with very positive role models by their side. I cannot say enough good things about this organization and the way it is run.

SCFG is passionate about enhancing the confidence and science literacy of girls, especially girls from groups underrepresented in STEM. As one listens to the stories of girls and their families who have “grown up” in the program, the excitement, gratification, confidence and support the program has provided is palpable, as is the feeling of “sisterhood” that is created among the girls. It is remarkable to see how the program has grown over the past 15 years from a grassroots effort by public school parents concerned with equity in education to supporting over 600 youth and achieving recognition such as the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce Nonprofit of the Year (2009). The program does an amazing job with a small staff and a wonderful volunteer base, so please continue (or start to) support the program in any way you can.

SCFG is an outstanding free program that gives young girls starting at Kindergarten level an opportunity to get acquainted with Science in a hands-on, fun, attractive and challenging way. My daughter enjoyed all the activities as a student since she started as a 3rd grader and last year, as a 7th grader, she loved to participate as a Junior Mentor. The SCFG experience developed and strengthened her understanding and learning of the scientific processes and her confidence and potential in a field that certainly could be intimidating in the regular school setting.

Science Club for Girls has afforded my daughter a highly valuable opportunity to experience science initiatives first hand, by offering hands on learning. A SCFG member since kindergarten--now a rising 7th grader; she is confident, determined and excited about exploring a career in forensic sciences. She's also developed friendships within the program-- friendships that are supportive, fun and proven longevity. SCFG consistently demonstrates to young girls that potential is a steppingstone to exciting possibilities.

Science Club for Girls gives girls an opportunity to explore science in a way that is challenging and engaging, while being mentored by older girls and adult women scientists. For my 9 year old daughter, who has always been interested in science and engineering, it gives her a chance to experience success in something that she loves. SCFG is great for all kinds of girls, but for our daughter, who is not interested in some of the more traditional after school activities for girls, it has been a unique and wonderful experience.

Try to find an afterschool that focuses on science exploration, literacy, confidence, and mentorship for girls as young as 5 years old and there's not much. Most offer programs beginning around the middle school age through high school. But Science Club for Girls has been able to do this and do it well. Giving girls a space to be curious, hands-on and inquisitive cannot always be achieved in a co-ed classroom, but SCFG features this unique environment and naturally unleashes this side in the girls! The program is ingeniously tiered so that a girl can move through the program over the years and experience various aspects such as Club Participant, Junior Mentor - supporting a Mentor Scienctist to run a club (grade 8-12), Summer Intern- teaching science at Cambridge/Boston area day camps, Rocket Team Member - enter the Junior Rocketry Competition (9th-12th), or Mentor Scientist- leading her own club (11th & 12th grade). A touching moment I remember from one particular club session was one girl told me that she had started a science club at home with her friends, inspired by SCFG. They collected bugs and enjoys science programs together!

The SCFG is made truly wonderful by its staff. I am always eager to attend their events and see for myself the difference they make in the lives of each individual/student they touch

Science Club for Girls volunteers have been coming into my classroom once a week for the last three years. During these visits, the volunteers have taught lessons, led activities, conducted experiments, and engaged in rich and lively discussions with my students. The volunteers are consistently engaged and reliable--they always come to the classroom well-prepared for the day's activities. Additionally, some of our volunteers even went so far as to create supplemental materials for various activities.

SCFG is an exceptional program connecting high level science professionals with young girls to help girls feel successful within the field of science. SCFG attracts many volunteers who have PhDs and other advanced degrees. The volunteers are committed to the mission of SCFG and willing to dedicate time and effort on a weekly basis. The bar is set high for what children can achieve and the children rise to the occasion. The clubs also enable children to engage in a hands-on, experimental learning model that is fun, exciting, and helps children learn. This program is an exceptional experience for all involved.

A great opportunity to get scientists to give back to the community. It raises awareness in among scientists of the challenges and rewards of bringing science to the public. This program should be a requirement for all young scientists interested in teaching one day.

My first impression of SCFG was one of awe and excitement. I had been asked to serve on a panel of corporate grantmakers with expertise in science education, which was followed by an afternoon of experiments led by the older girls for the younger girls who were enrolled in the Clubs. What impressed me most was how poised and confident the older girls were in teaching the younger girls, and in modeling behavior of learning, knowledge-sharing, and mentoring. That was in 1999. What continues to impress me is what these young girls and women are continuing to do as they successful apply, get accepted, and win scholarships to college. These are young women who never dreamed of going to college, and most of whom are the first from their families to aspire to do so. The impact is nothing short of inspirational, as other communities ask to start their own clubs, and as SCFG alumnae take initiative to start clubs in the communities where they are attending college. I am humbled by the amazing dedication of the Clubs' founders, board leaders, and incredibly talented staff. It is a program I wished I could have had as a young woman, and am thrilled to be engaged with now!