It’s a girl thing!
Pop quiz:
What’s the first “girl thing” that came to mind?
Stereotypes have a way of superseding our rational senses, so don’t beat yourself up if you immediately thought of make-up or sparkly dresses or slumber parties.
The latest “girl thing” to sweep the globe, however, is not another glitzy gimmick.
It’s …
science.
Yup, science.
Last summer, the EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, launched the Women in Research and Innovation campaign to encourage more women to choose research careers.
Go, girl!
It all started with a statistic:
Women make up more than half the EU’s student population and account for 45 percent of all doctorates (PhDs), but they account for only one third of career researchers and are very poorly represented at the senior level.
Suddenly, a slogan was born:
“Science: It’s a Girl Thing!”
The first facet of the campaign is bent on bringing teen girls face-to-face with inspiring women-scientist role models and enlightening them about the excitement and challenges of being a professional scientist or engineer. The second phase targets college-level women and encourages them to choose a career in research.
I love the campaign’s website at a glance. There are quizzes, contests, video clips, and dream jobs—all designed to dare girls to dream big.
And the best part about being a girl scientist?
YOU call the shots.
You can …
test quantum theories …
while wearing mascara.
You can send astronauts into space …
while sporting a sparkly dress.
And, you can pitch a slumber partly under the stars …
while tracking snow leopards.
So much for stereotypes.
We’re in front of it now.
I can remember starting out my love of science in second grade when we learned about weather, cloud patterns, and the planets. My friend, Linda Foster, had a telescope and we were stoked!! The first full moon had us setting up her telescope in my front yard and viewing the craters while squealing with delight. We also spent countless hours studying the skies and trying to predict snow. Oh, how we wanted snow!!
I’m thrilled to read about this. My grandgirl, Jade, is in fifth grade & she LOVES science & math. She works hard all year thinking of a new idea for the science fair project. When she comes to visit in the summer, she is all about nature walks, seeing the stars & learning about the constellations, figuring out why a cake rises with certain ingredients, etc.. She is right now studying hard to be in Math Bowl at school, too. They have a district competition each year. She tries it all! She is challenged to come up with so many neat things. Girls can achieve exactly what they want.