Scientific Adventures for Girls 2017- 2018 Program Report
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Scientific Adventures for Girls
2017- 2018 Program Report
For more information, contact Courtenay Carr Heuer at ccarr@scientificadventures.org
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
Scientific Adventures for Girls After School STEM Programs 2017-2018 Scientific Adventures for Girls (SAFG) just ended a very successful 2017-2018 year offering 30 after school, 8-10-week STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) sessions at eight schools reaching 429 kindergarten through 5th grade girls, seven weeks of STEM camp at two locations reaching 150+ girls and boys, 18 STEM library drop-in classes during the school year at two Oakland libraries reaching over 400+ girls, boys and their families and three Family STEAM Night events, bringing together over 465 children and their families. SAFG is also just finishing up its Summer STEM Library Program offering 34 STEM classes at nine libraries throughout Oakland. Since its inception in 2014, SAFG has served 1205 non-unique girls (vs. distinct) through its after school and SAFG summer programs and another 250+ girls and boys partnering with Emeryville Recreation Department and 1200+ girls and boys at Oakland libraries. What is SAFG’s Mission? SAFG's mission is to keep kids, especially girls and underserved youth (starting at age 5), engaged in STEM for the long term, either as professionals in STEM fields or as contributing members of the global community with a strong background in technological skills, scientific methods and 21st century skills, including problem solving, critical thinking, communication and collaboration. Why SAFG? SAFG wants to change the face of science. Five discoveries led to the creation of SAFG: most children in elementary schools in California receive less than 30-60 minutes a week of science; girls start losing interest in STEM as early as elementary school; there is a dearth of after school science programs specifically targeting girls; after school science programs in underserved areas in Oakland are essentially inaccessible; and women are largely underrepresented in STEM. Women, especially minorities, are underrepresented in STEM fields. According to the NSF, only 13% of engineers are women and 26% of computer scientists are women, and 2% of engineers are minority women. A report commissioned by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative found there is growing consensus among educators that quality STEM education must begin earlier, in grades PreK-6, both to ensure foundation knowledge and skills and to foster long-term interest and higher-level study in these subject areas. One of the report's recommendations is to increase the number of community-based early childhood education and out-of-school-time providers who receive preparation in STEM education. SAFG recognizes and agrees that out-of-school time is an ideal time to spark and encourage a sustained interest July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
in STEM subjects in girls and reverse these trends. Studies have found that consistent participation in out-
of-school programs leads to a narrowing of the achievement gap between young people from low-income
and high-income families (Christensen, R., Knezek, G., and Tyler-Wood, T. 2015).
SAFG Goals and Objectives
Through its many out-of-school time programs, SAFG has
the following overall goals:
● To increase hands-on learning opportunities for
girls, especially those in underserved areas to
explore STEM concepts and encourage lifelong
learning of STEM.
● Increase positive attitudes toward STEM in K-5th
grade female students.
● Target girls in elementary school while they are
still relatively open and can develop their passion
in STEM before it begins to wane.
● Level the playing field in STEM and help in the
effort to create a gender-equitable society.
SAFG after school classes provide all girls hands-on,
fun, engaging sessions and have the following
objectives for each class:
● To regularly reinforce in each class that it is okay and expected to make mistakes.
● To demonstrate that it requires persistence and determination to carry through a project.
● To hook the girls into technology, engineering and math by engaging in projects that incorporate
topics that are appealing and culturally relevant to girls.
● To provide a space for girls to develop their natural curiosity and creativity; to instill inventiveness
and intuition through fun, hands-on activities.
● To make all projects a collaborative effort - a proven, effective way for girls to learn science and
math.
● To prioritize learning practical skills and applying them creatively.
● To invite and train volunteer female role models in STEM who can relate to our young participants
and help make connections between the kids' learning and real-world contexts.
● To engage parents (who might harbor gender stereotypes in STEM) in regular communication
about the class and their children's progress.
What is Unique about SAFG Approach
Through our research of evidenced-based best practices SAFG distinguish itself as follows:
● SAFG invites female role models in STEM to classes to present the practical and social-impact of
science. Research shows that simply exposing young girls to women in careers in STEM can
eliminate stereotypes and encourage girls to think that they can also have a career in STEM.
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
● Classes are small – we have a 1 to
8 ratio of teacher to student.
● SAFG recruits near-peer mentors
(girls in middle school or high
school) for its classes. This
program provides a younger role
model for the girls as well as
provide opportunities for the
near-peer to sustain her interest
in STEM and develop leadership
skills.
● SAFG engages parents. SAFG
believes that to ensure girls
pursue STEM for the long term,
their parents also need the
motivation to support their
daughters. After each class SAFG teachers send an email or handout to parents outlining what the
girls did in class and questions to ask to continue the conversation at home.
● SAFG hires seasoned, experienced and nurturing teachers who are trained to provide engaging,
positive science experiences for girls.
SAFG 2017-2018 After School Program
SAFG reached 429 non-unique girls (vs. distinct) in kindergarten - fifth grades through our afterschool
STEM programs held on site. Classes were held once a week for 1-1.5 hours, depending on age of girls and
the location. SAFG held 30 after school STEM sessions at the following eight sites:
● Anna Yates Elementary (Emeryville) – 9 sessions
● Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary (Oakland) – 6 sessions
● Chabot Elementary (Oakland) – 3 sessions
● Emerson Elementary (Oakland) – 3 sessions
● Temescal Library (Oakland) - 3 sessions
● Jefferson Elementary (Berkeley) – 4 sessions
● Roosevelt Elementary (San Leandro) – 1 session
● Sankofa Elementary (Oakland) – 1 session
Curriculum
SAFG content is facilitated in a variety of out-of-school time settings, from partner school sites, to library
drop-in programs, summer camps and special family events, each with a unique set of desired learning
outcomes. Our curriculum begins with the end in mind, utilizing a backwards design approach to achieve
our final content. This thoughtful process focuses our planning and guides purposeful development of
content toward specific, intended results.
All SAFG programs feature hands-on, minds-on projects, designed to spark interest in and excitement
around science topics in our participants. This year, we introduced a set of learning objectives for all
programs, centered on the qualities of a scientist. These “Five Cs” call out the habits of mind employed
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
by scientists of all ages and served as foundational norms for participants. In SAFG programs, our student scientists are: Curious, Committed, Careful, Creative, Changemakers. These five qualities were explored in the following thematic curricula used across our sites this past school year: The Art of Numbers Art is the key to unlocking mathematical doors in this STEAM centered program. Each lesson highlighted an interesting mathematical concept and provided a means to represent mathematical thinking through painting, sculpture, music and more. Students were tasked with monitoring their own learning and goals, reflecting on their work at the end of each class, and tracking their own progress over the course of the session. Chemistry II: Puzzling Potions The second installment in our popular chemistry series provided an opportunity to experiment with chemical reactions, emphasizing the importance of careful, accurate work in achieving repeatable results. Participants made slimes and goos in our polymer lab, identified mystery powdered through a series of elimination tests of chemical and physical reactions, sorted acids from bases to make penny cleaning solutions, developed invisible ink recipes, and more, as they honed their chemistry expertise. Chemistry III: Food Science - Kitchen Concoctions This third installment in our popular chemistry series took a turn for the tasty, exploring the science behind food. Participants applied their chemistry skills to the everyday science of cooking, investigating the role of senses in product development, culturing bacteria from community areas, testing ways to optimize results for efficiency and deliciousness in making ice cream, butter, salad dressing and more! A highlight from this session was a field trip to the Clif Bar kitchen to meet our food scientist role models and explore what that job could be! Pow! Bang! Fizz! Science Whiz Our “greatest hits” program is what we begin with at each new partner school site. Because the projects hit upon a variety of science disciplines, from chemistry to engineering, it serves as a way to assess the interest and skill level of the participants in a dynamic, engaging way. Featuring PVC marshmallow blasters, alka seltzer rocket explosions, squishy circuits, electronic take aparts, oobleck and giant bubbles, there is a little something for everyone, allowing us to capture our audience and set the tone for science fun. Spark! It’s Electric An in-depth exploration of electricity begins with the electron and follows those little particles through investigations of static and current electricity, circuits, batteries, motors and more! Working with the July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
input/output components of electrical circuits underscores cause and effect relationships in developing logic and scientific reasoning, while the oft-repeated guiding question posed by instructors “what did you DO (input) to make ____ HAPPEN (output)?” supports the process of solidifying thinking and communicating findings to others. Storybook Science: Engineering by the Book In this series, participants were tasked with engineering happier endings to favorite children’s books. The Engineering Design Process was highlighted as participants design, build and test their one-of-a-kind creations, improving upon their designs in iteration and discussing how their work applies to real world engineering challenges. Get- well goodies for grandma are delivered by zip line, Humpty Dumpty is protected from his fall inside custom cases, wolf proof houses are imagined alongside tower escapes and pumpkin-free carriages. Titles continue to be added to this growing library of fun and familiar challenges. Teachers One of the most important components of the SAFG program is our excellent teaching staff. SAFG wants to ensure that girls get the attention and encouragement they need during the classes, therefore we have a teacher to student ratio of no more than 1:8. Teachers send an email home each week after class to all parents to keep them engaged with what the girls are doing in class and encourage parents to continue the STEM fun and discussion at home. SAFG has some wonderful, nurturing teachers. They are truly the backbone of our program. Sonia Rawal: She has worked with children for over 30 years. She received her early childhood teaching credentials and has been teaching at Dandelion Co-op nursery school in Berkeley for nine years. She is a strong proponent of inquiry-based and project-based learning. Rachel Anderson: She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, trained in ecology, behavior and evolution with a side of physics. She worked for three years in veterinary hospitals as an animal technician and practice manager and spent seven years as a science program coordinator for the Denver Zoo, designing, delivering and evaluating standards-based educational programs for children and adults. Charlotte Young: She is a graduate of UC Berkeley where she studied Microbial Biology and English Literature. She is a great supporter of interdisciplinary skills and pursuing interests of all different types! Her field of interest has been primarily in medicine, specifically in Optometry and ocular diseases. She has also been a dance instructor for elementary school-aged girls and ESL teacher overseas to medical professionals. Her goal is to encourage scientific exploration and lively classroom discussions. July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
Caroline Roma: Caroline graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Biology and Environmental
Studies. She taught science in Denver in middle school for five years. She's passionate about leading young
girls to share in her passion for STEM.
Meredith Triplet: Meredith received a
bachelor’s degree in Math and Chemistry from
Wheaton College and obtained her PhD in
Physical Chemistry from UC Berkeley. She
engaged in science outreach throughout her
graduate career by teaching kindergarten
classes throughout the bay area about how our
amazing bodies can fight against germs that
make us sick. Meredith is passionate about
science and is excited to share that passion
with kids and families.
Kim Ho: Kim was born and raised in
Sacramento, California. Growing up, she
participated in science camps and math clubs, where she first found her love for STEM subjects. She's
worked with children as an after-school teacher for 2 years. She also coaches volleyball for middle school
students. She loves working with youth to inspire them to be the best version of themselves. She received
her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Economics from UC Davis. She will be pursuing a Ph.D in
economics in the Fall where she will study education and women in the labor market.
Traci Grzymala: Traci completed her PhD in Environmental Science at UC Berkeley where she studied the
global diversity of some very tiny beetles. While pursuing her degree, she was involved in numerous
science education and outreach initiatives around the Bay Area. She now works in the science education
non-profit sector and is deeply committed to providing hands-on, inquiry-based learning experiences for
students of all ages. She loves all things STEM, but bugs will always hold a special place in her heart.
Claire Miller: Claire is a second-grade teacher in East Oakland who loves to keep learning on and off the
job. Claire has been working with children since her days as a young junior Girl Scout leader. Professionally
she has been teaching in Brooklyn, New York and now the Bay Area for five years.
Role Models
Our Role Model Program is another major component in helping SAFG reach its goal of keeping kids
engaged in STEM for the long term. Research shows that exposure to female role models in STEM early
on can help change the way girls see themselves in the future. Our program invites female STEM
professionals in the industry to visit our classes to discuss their career path, what they do, why they chose
to pursue STEM, and why they love their work. We also allow time for our girls to ask questions for them
to get a better understanding of the role model. Our hope is that our girls can see themselves in each role
model and become inspired to also pursue STEM careers. Often times, it is the first time our students are
exposed to careers in STEM. We aim to eliminate any stereotypes they may have of STEM careers and
normalize the notion that women also pursue this path.
During the 2017-2018 school year, the following STEM role models volunteered their time to visit SAFG
classes to discuss their career path and work on projects with our girls:
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
● Kristiina Niemesto - Engineer at Dupont
● Arianna Kazez - UC Berkeley Ph.D Candidate in Chemistry
● Samantha Sprau - Chemical Engineer at Proterra
● Laura Sofen - UC Berkeley Ph.D Candidate in Chemistry
● Vanessa Yang - UC Berkeley Ph.D Candidate in Chemistry
● Alexandra Ramsey - UC Berkeley Ph.D Candidate in Chemistry
● Christine Saechao - Associate Scientist at Bayer
● Kari Finstead - Postdoctoral Researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Lab
● Erin Ceel - UC Berkeley Ph.D Candidate in Chemistry
● Stella Wintaro - Food Scientist at Perfect Day Foods
● Sandra Kozma-Kennedy - Sustainability Coordinator at SCS Global Services
● Evelyn Alper and Monica Leong - Food Scientists at Cliff Bar
● Lena Trotochaud - Postdoctoral
Research Fellow at Lawrence Berkeley
National Lab
● Adhamina Rodriguez - CEO of AR
Green Consulting
● Kris Klotzbach - Manufacturing
Engineer at Cliff Bar
● Carolina Huerta - Engineer at PG&E
● Joy Wang - Product Manager -
Engineering at OSIsoft
● Jean Benjauthrit - Associate Process
Engineer at Bayer
● Jessica Smith - Regional Program
Manager at Genentech
Near Peer Program
As part of the SAFG Program we also bring girls from middle schools and high schools to serve as “Near
Peers” in the classes with our K-5 SAFG girls. This program provides a younger role model for the girls as
well as opportunities for the near-peer to sustain her interest in STEM and develop leadership skills.
During the 2017-2018 school year we had two Near Peers in Anna Yates classes. One of the SAFG Near
Peers, Bita, said, when asked what skills she gained as a mentor, “I gained leadership experience and
learned how to teach them (the girls) to work with one another”. She also said she became comfortable
talking about science to the girls. We also had one Near Peer serving at both of our library programs from
September 2017 - May 2018. Finally, we had two Near Peers at our SAFG Carnival Science camp and one
Near Peer at our Emeryville Recreation Summer Camp. These girls were a great asset to the programs
they served! Our goal for the 2018-2019 school year is to increase the number of Near Peers in our after
school and library classes.
SAFG Program Evaluation
SAFG has three measurable goals of its after school programs:
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
● On an individual level, positively change the girls’ attitudes towards STEM and their STEM skills;
ensure that each girl has met a scientist and engineer; provide a STEM role model for the girls;
introduce the concept of engineering to each girl.
● On a programmatic level, increase number of girls reached each year and increase number of girls
who re-enroll in subsequent sessions.
● On a community level, increase level of conversation and activity around STEM at home as well
as increase number of female role models in STEM industries to participate in SAFG programs.
SAFG employs written surveys to determine the extent to which SAFG is meetings its core objectives. We
survey the girls, their parents and have recently start surveying their teachers.
Girl Survey
SAFG spent the summer of 2017 analyzing its
program evaluation process to measure the
efficiency of its data collection methods as well
as the effectiveness of the data in the view that
the process has to be sustainable and cost-
effective as the organization scales. After
meeting with several experts in evaluation,
specifically in the informal STEM education for
youth sphere, SAFG opted to use surveys
developed by the PEAR Institute (Partnerships in
Education and Resilience). PEAR is affiliated with
Harvard Medical School. The survey instrument
is a self-report survey for students called the
Common Instrument Suite (CIS). It has been
administered over 60,000 times to students enrolled in informal/out-of-school STEM programs across 47
U.S. states as well as eight countries in Asia, South America, and Europe. This surveys aligns with the data
SAFG aims to collect: STEM-related attitudes, STEM Identity and Social-Emotional / 21st. century skills
that are highly correlated with achievement and interest in STEM including perseverance, critical thinking,
and relationships with peers and adults. There are two different versions of the survey customized for age
groups. The PEAR Institute recommends that only 4th and 5th grade children be tested on STEM Identity
and Social/Emotional skills in addition to STEM-related attitudes and interest. They recommend that
children in Kindergarten through 3rd grade be given the survey which questions STEM interest as the
other components would not be fully understood by the student and therefore the results would not be
as valid. With respect to timing and frequency of the evaluations, the PEAR Institute recommends that
students only be surveyed once in a school year and at the end of programming. Sample questions for K-
3rd graders include:
How do you feel about science? Please pick the bubble that matches how you feel about these sentences.
(Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, Strongly Agree)
● I get excited about science.
● I like to participate in science projects.
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
● I want to understand science.
● I like to see how things are made.
● I get excited to learn about new discoveries.
● I pay attention when people talk about the environment.
● I am curious to learn more about cars that run on electricity.
● I am interested in science inventions.
● I would like to have a science job in the future.
● I enjoy playing games that teach me about science.
● I like to make things.
How curious are you about these topics? (not at all
curious, not very curious, fairly curious, very curious)
● Science
● Technology
● Engineering
● Math
Parent Survey
SAFG administers a survey with multiple choice
questions asking parents to share their thoughts on
the SAFG girls' interest in STEM as well as their social
and emotional skills. We also ask parents to rate the
quality of the program itself. Finally, SAFG asks how
often they talk about science and SAFG projects at
home, tracking whether parents read the weekly
emails our teachers send in an effort to engage the
families in STEM at home.
Feedback from one parent:
“...I just wanted to say how pleased I am with Scientific
Adventures for Girls from a parent’s perspective. My Kindergartner...attends Sankofa Academy and has
had so much fun during her time with SAFG. She is a budding scientist and it has a lot to do with your
program, she even wakes up early on Fridays because she's so excited for Science club. Thank you so much
for your dedication to changing the face of science, so that it reflects young women like my daughter.”
Parent of SAFG girl.
Teacher Survey
In Spring 2017, SAFG piloted an online teacher survey (multiple choice) at Anna Yates Elementary, asking
teachers to share their thoughts on the SAFG girls' interest in STEM and their social and emotional skills
as well as comparing SAFG girls to the rest of the class. SAFG wanted to start tracking how its programming
impacted the girls during the school day. SAFG staff met with teachers in person to introduce the survey
and to explain the purpose of the feedback. Sample questions include: Over the course of the SAFG
session, did you observe a change in your SAFG students’:
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org● personal confidence
● ability to work in teams
● positive attitudes towards science
● positive attitudes toward math
● participation in math classroom
activities
● completion of science homework
● completion of math homework
● math scores
● overall math grades
● overall science grades
● overall classroom behavior
Teachers were asked to rate the change by selecting out of the following:
● All or most all deteriorated
● Most deteriorated
● About half improved, half didn’t
● Most improved
● All or most all improved
● I don’t know
The Outcomes
Based on the CIS, SAFG girls interest in science scored a range of 3.36 to 3.56 out of a 4 point Likert scale
(strongly disagree to strongly agree) leading SAFG to believe that the girls in the classes self-reported that
they are interested in science.
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.orgOne striking trend uncovered that girls who took the survey scored a range of 2.69 to 2.79 out of a 4
point Likert scale on science identity, i.e. do the girls see themselves as scientists or do their parents and
teachers see them as scientists. While the interest science measures strong, the idea of the girls being a
“science person” does not correspond. SAFG met its original target to bring in female role models in
various STEM fields to expose the girls to future career possibilities. However, one possibility for lower
score on science identity is the strong gender and cultural biases in STEM amongst our African-American
and Latino/Hispanic communities
(https://www.girlscouts.org/join/educators/generation_stem_full_report.pdf).
Furthermore, SAFG girls scored a range of 2.17 to 2.24 out of a 3-point Likert scale when assessing
“critical thinking” and a range of 2.17 to 2.50 when measuring “perseverance”.
Based on the parent surveys, SAFG met its target of increasing the level of conversation and activity
around STEM at home. Ninety-eight percent of parents who took the survey reported they read the
weekly email summaries that the SAFG instructors sent recapping what their daughters did and learned
each week. Ninety-eight percent of the parents also reported that the weekly emails inspired them to do
similar projects with their kids at home. Ninety-five percent of parents reported that SAFG helped to
increase their daughter’s interest in science.
Based on the school-day teachers surveys, Highlights include the following results:
● Over the course of the SAFG session, did you observe a change in your SAFG students’ positive
attitudes toward science? If yes, what kind of change?
- 83% said all or most improved
● Over the course of the SAFG session, did you observe a change in your SAFG students’ overall
science grades? If yes, what kind of change?
- 83% said all or most improved
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org● Which groups of your students showed the greatest improvement in positive attitudes toward
math: SAFG Girls, Other Girls or Boys.
- 83% said SAFG Girls
Comment from one of the science teachers who sees all SAFG girls during the school week:
"The girls are very excited to be in the program, and often share what they did the day before in your class.
The girls often make connections with our classroom content, even a year or more after they did an activity
with your program. Overall there is great excitement and enthusiasm for science and they are much more
confident. Thank you!"
SAFG STEM Classes at Oakland Libraries
SAFG continued the second year of its STEM Library Program in coordination with the Oakland Public
Library System and the Lawrence Hall of Science, UC Berkeley. During the 2017-2018 school year, SAFG
held 18 drop-in STEM classes at 81st Avenue Branch Library and the Oakland Main Library. Classes were
held once a month for 1.5 hours.
The public library is a setting gaining popularity as an opportune location for informal STEM education. As
a long-standing location for informal education, public libraries are utilizing their existing resources as a
foundation upon which to expand STEM education (STEM Equity in Informal Learning Settings: The Role
of Libraries, May 2016). Libraries’ roles are evolving to respond to the education needs in the communities
they serve – going beyond the popular summer reading programs. (Public Libraries and Effective Summer
Learning: Opportunities for Assessment). Libraries are well positioned to host a SAFG program for two
reasons. First, for many communities, libraries are considered safe, inclusive spaces. Second, libraries
serve as regular meeting places for children and their families throughout the school year and summer.
SAFG administers a short survey after each library class. Of the 191 children who completed surveys during
the school year:
● 132 stated the class project was
“Awesome” (highest choice on a 4-
point scale), (69%)
● 121 stated “Yes” they would come to
another class and 54 said “Maybe”,
(92%)
● 106 reported this was the first time
they had participated in an afterschool
science class, (55% of participants)
● 101 were girls, (52%)
We were happy to see more than 50% of the
attendees were girls and that we are reaching
children who have not had the opportunity to take STEM enrichment classes in the out-of-school space.
This is the demographic we strive to reach.
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.orgAll projects were hands-on engineering design challenges, including Marshmallow Snowball Catapults,
Snow Slime, Shaving Cream Rain Clouds, Paper Flower Color Chromatography, Paper Circuits and more.
Our STEM library program is continuing this summer 2018 at nine Oakland libraries offering our
“Storybook Science” series for a total of 34 classes, with a goal of reaching over 700+ girls, boys and their
families. Children and their caregivers are designing, engineering and testing: kites, catapults, boats,
houses, parachutes, bridges, ziplines and more!
The following lists the libraries we are serving during the summer 2018:
● Oakland Main Library - 9 classes
● 81st Avenue Branch Library - 9 classes
● Dimond Library - 9 classes
● Elmhurst Library - 1 class
● Eastmont Library - 1 class
● Montclair Library - 2 classes
● Golden Gate Library - 1 class
● Piedmont Library - 2 classes
SAFG Family STEAM Nights
Scientific Adventures for Girls hosted Family STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math)
nights this school year at three of our school sites - Emerson Elementary, Anna Yates Elementary and
Martin Luther King Jr./Lafayette Elementary. Our goal for these events was to generate excitement in
STEAM and encourage families to partake in STEAM engagement at home. Our event consisted of hands-
on, interactive STEAM activities for students and families to participate in together in a fun way.
Our theme for the Family STEAM Nights was
“Earth Day”. We had eight stations and
activities that reflected STEAM subjects and
demonstrated lessons on environmental
protection. Our stations included building
renewable energy cars, water filters,
earthworm observation, making earth
friendly slime, DIY seed bombs, and flower
dissection. At Anna Yates Elementary, we
were fortunate to have the Emeryville Police
Department and the East Bay Energy
Coalition host a booth with activities. At
Emerson Elementary, the East Bay Depot for
Creative Reuse hosted a recycled art booth
and donated art materials to the school.
Our audience reached over 150 children and their families at Anna Yates, 115 at Emerson, and over 200
at MLK/Lafayette. Each school provided support from their afterschool staff and administrators. We
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.orgcreated passports for students and families to gather stamps from each station they participated in. These stamps were then traded in for raffle tickets. We reached out to local museums and businesses for prizes and were lucky enough to receive donations from Mocha Museum, the Chabot Space & Science Center, the Museum of Tech Innovation, Shell, and Tesla. Our event was staffed with SAFG teachers and some amazing volunteers. We enjoyed seeing families participate in STEAM activities together and we hope we inspired them to continue their engagement. We will continue this program during the 2018-2019 school year offering eight Family STEAM Nights at four of our school sites (two at each school). SAFG Camp - Carnival Science This summer 2018, SAFG ran two sessions of STEM camp for girls grades K-2nd and 3rd-5th, serving 24 girls. The theme for the camp was “Carnival Science” - campers used scientist skills to unpack the scientific principles that lie behind common carnival and circus activities. Campers experimented with and explored concepts such as acceleration (“How do we measure the type of force a roller coaster exerts on the body?”), the chemistry of candy (“Why do some candies produce fizz, or carbon dioxide, when it touches your tongue?”), and surface tension (“How does soap change the surface tension of water to create bubbles?”). The girls incorporated the science themes they learned by designing games and prizes for their very own Carnival Day. 20+ TK/K students came by the camper-run carnival and enjoyed stations like “Magnet Fishing” and “Pin the Tail on the Chemical Reaction”, all while learning the fascinating science behind these fun games. SAFG Camp at Emeryville Recreation Department For the second consecutive summer, SAFG partnered with the Emeryville Recreation Department to offer the STEM component of the Emeryville Recreation Camp. This summer, SAFG teachers are providing five weeks of STEM programming using our “Storybook Science” series. Each of the 125+ girls and boys receive two STEM classes a week. SAFG is also training the Emeryville Recreation staff and they are shadowing and assisting in classes to be able to teach the STEM classes themselves for weeks 6- 9 of summer and further into the school year during their after school programs. SAFG Partnerships SAFG recognizes the importance of working together and collaborating with other organizations to make the most impact. We want to support all organizations working towards the goal of reaching more girls and boys in STEM. We seek out these relationships to work with others. SAFG currently collaborates or partners with the following organizations: July 2018 www.scientificadventures.org
● Oakland Public Library (for the 3rd year) in coordination with Lawrence Hall of Science to deliver
free STEM classes throughout the year.
● Bay Area Community Resources (BACR), an after-school agency, offering SAFG classes in its after-
school programs.
● Cal State East Bay’s Institute for STEM Education’s Circle Labs.
● Energy Coalition delivering its Climate Action program to the libraries SAFG serves to teach
children about biodiversity and ecosystems.
● Emeryville Recreation Department (2nd year) offering SAFG STEM classes to boys and girls
throughout the summer.
● SAFG is an approved partner with Cal State East Bay to offer internship positions for students to
complete Service Learning hours assisting in SAFG classes.
● SAFG is an approved partner with Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland to offer community
service internships to high school students to complete 60 hours of community service.
● SAFG is an approved partner with the Oakland Unified School District.
● Finally, SAFG has developed dozens of relationships with representatives from numerous Bay
Area companies and institutions through our Female Role Model and Volunteer Programs.
SAFG Student Highlight
Camille, a 3rd grader at a school in Oakland,
joined our SAFG class halfway through the
school year during our Winter session. She
initially struggled with focusing in class during
instruction and had difficulties working with
other students, especially students she did not
know. During our experiments, she wanted to
partake in every task of our project which was
difficult to do because our students work in
groups and divide the responsibilities. Our
teachers knew she had potential and that she
wanted to continue in our class but needed to
learn how to channel her energy in a positive
way. Over the span of a few classes, our
teachers talked to Camille one on one before
and after each class to make sure she knew what
our teachers expected of her and how she could
participate more in class while working together with other students. We discussed the importance of
focusing her energy at the appropriate time and how working together with students can result in better
science experiment results. We gave her breaks during class when she needed time to focus and we taught
her techniques on how to communicate with others respectfully. Overtime, she found a group of students
she normally would not work with and they excelled together. She quickly learned that if they divided the
tasks, they could all finish the experiment early and try the experiment a second time, which she always
wanted to do. The second experiment allowed her to partake in more aspects of the project, while
allowing other students to also participate and enjoy the experience together. She loved being able to
July 2018 www.scientificadventures.orgshare results for all of her experiments. The last few weeks of class, her focus in class improved
tremendously. She began asking more questions about our experiment, she shared more of her
experiment results to the class, and she learned how to share and collaborate with others. Camille even
wants to do these experiments outside of class. After every class, Camielle always asks our teachers if we
have extra materials so that she can take it home and try it on her own. Her excitement and passion to
participate in science experiments is incredible to see and we hope she continues to pursue science.
Conclusion
SAFG is being recognized more in the community: This past year, SAFG was honored to receive a
“Certificate of Recognition” from Congresswoman Barbara Lee of Oakland recognizing and thanking SAFG
for its work “guiding girls to explore STEM”. The mayor of Emeryville, John Bauters, honored SAFG for
Women’s History month with a proclamation recognizing our work serving girls in Emeryville. Nancy
Skinner, State Senator from the 9th District also presented a certificate of recognition to SAFG for its efforts
to facilitate opportunities for young women in STEM. Taylor Swift’s tour company donated 200+ tickets
to SAFG for her recent Bay Area concert and one of our SAFG girls got to go back stage and meet Taylor
Swift! Finally, the Warriors gave SAFG girls tickets to a basketball game during Women’s History month.
SAFG’s goal is to engage children, especially girls, for the long term in STEM. We are very proud of our
work this past year engaging the children of Oakland/East Bay Area in science, introducing science
concepts through hands-on activities that motivated them to take risks, to learn how to talk about science,
to learn it is ok to make mistakes, to help them work as a team and overall promoted a joy of discovery,
which is important for all future scientists! SAFG continues to grow each year and reach more girls and
boys in Oakland. We look forward to another strong year in 2018-2019!
We could not Change the Face of Science without the support of many generous donors. Thank you to the
following Funders for making it possible for SAFG to offer all of the above programs during the 2017-2018
year!
● Nancy P. and Richard K. Robbins Family Foundation
● Warriors Community Foundation
● NOVUS
● Cisco Foundation
● NXP Semiconductors
● American Eagle Outfitters Foundation
● Bayer USA Foundation
● Oakland Berkeley Realtors Association
● Pacific Gas & Electric Company
● Ross Stores Foundation
● Clif Bar Family Foundation
● 100s of Individual Donors
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