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Leadership Team
Meet the Leadership Team
of the Mid-Atlantic Girls Collaborative
Bria Barry
Assistant Director, Women in Engineering
University of Maryland, Co-Lead, MAGiC Cyber Systems Engineer, Northrup Gruman Corporation
Amy N. Gensemer
K-12 Science and Engineering Supervisor,
Montgomery County Public Schools
Manager of Program Services,
Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital
Founder,
GEMS Club and Technology Specialist,
Fairfax County Public Schools
Lisa McClure
Program Coordinator,
Girl Scout Council of Central Maryland,
Co-Lead, MAGiC
Ellie Mitchell
Director,
MD Out of School Time Network
Paige E. Smith
Director, Women in Engineering
University of Maryland,
Lead, MAGiC
Elizabeth Vandenburg
evEnterprises,
AAUW STEM Advocacy Task Force,
Social Media, MAGiC
N. Syrek
Newsletter Editor
MAGiC
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Invent it. Build it. Expo
This year's theme: Make connections. Make history. SWE, Girls Scouts, and WGBH's Design Squad Nation, and the ExxonMobil Foundation present this parallel program at SWE's Conference in Baltimore. This hands-on event is open to the public from 11am-3pm. For more information v isit the website and click here to register on eventbrite.________________________
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Top Secret Rosies: The Female Computers of WWII
Screening Oct 26th, 10am SWE Conference, Baltimore In 1942, when computers were human and women were underestimated, a group of female mathematicians helped win a war and usher in the modern computer age. Seventy years later their story has finally been told. Catch the screening at the Society of Women Engineers Conference in Baltimore. This award winning documentary will become an iBookApp titled The Computer Wore Heels. The project is in development with a release date targeted for October 2014. The Top Secret Rosies website has a downloadable 18-page study guide containing discussion questions, math, computer and science activities, professional organizations, and resources to integrate history, social studies and language arts. For more information visit the website here.
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NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing for HS Girls
Applications accepted
Sep 15 - Oct 31, 2013
The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing honors young women at the high-school level for their computing-related achievements and interests. Awardees are selected for their computing and IT aptitude, leadership ability, academic history, and here for post-secondary education.
For more information, application, parent guide and more visit here.
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CS Ed Week & CODE.org
1 Hour of Code
December 9-15, 2013
CSEd Week.org & Code.org is supporting a campaign to encourage millions of students to participate in an hour of computer coding. The goal is to introduce millions to the field and encourage them to sign up for more in-depth computer science studies. There will be several different hour-long introductions hosted on the CSEdWeek website. Many of the tutorials will be compatible with tablets and smartphones, and there will be some "unplugged" lessons that require no computer at all. We are encouraging all our members to lead their schools and communities in an Hour of Code. Please visit the CSEdWeek website and officially sign up to participate. Here you will find additional resources to help you promote and organize an event.
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Association for Women in Mathematics
Essay Contest:
Biographies of Contemporary Women in Mathematics
To increase awareness of women's ongoing contributions to the mathematical sciences, the Association for Women in Mathematics (AWM) and Math for America are co-sponsoring an essay contest for biographies of contemporary women mathematicians and statisticians in academic, industrial, and government careers.
The essays will be based primarily on an interview with a woman currently working in a mathematical sciences career. This contest is open to students in the following categories: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, and College Undergraduate. At least one winning submission will be chosen from each category. Winners will receive a prize, and their essays will be published online at the AWM web site. Additionally, a grand prize winner will have his or her submission published in the AWM Newsletter.
The deadline is January 31, 2014. For contest rules and contest form visit here.
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Celebrate International Observe the Moon Night
Goddard Space Flight Center
Join NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center as it celebrates International Observe the Moon Night on Saturday, October 12, 2013! The Goddard Visitor Center will open its doors to the public from 6-9 pm for a free event featuring telescope viewing, engaging hands-on activities, discussions with scientists and engineers, and more! We will especially highlight Goddard's unique contributions to our evolving understanding of the Moon, especially its roles on the ongoing Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission and the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission, whose recent launch from VA was visible up and down the majority of the East Coast.
For directions to the Goddard Visitor Center visit here. To learn more about International Observe the Moon Night visit here. For more information contact Lora Bleacher.
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Capitol Hill STEM Diversity Symposium
STEMConnector will hold an event recognizing the extensive contributions and accomplishments of women and minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). This conversation wiil be hosted by Discovery Communications and STEMConnector.org in conjunction with members of the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Congressional Asian Pacific-American Caucus, and the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues, and will serve as a forum for the discussion of policies and strategies to improve diversity in STEM. To receive an email with a formal RSVP option contact Brian Jackson.
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Quick Links
Click the links below to learn more about us and our partner organizations.
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Message from the Directors
Fall is upon us and with it a plethora of exciting opportunities for girl-serving STEM programs and the girls they serve! Please keep the news coming our way. We appreciate your keeping us informed so that we can, in turn, share your ideas and announcements with MAGiC's broad audience. Win-win!!
MAGiC's outreach continues to grow... here are a few quick examples.
We are thrilled to announce our two newest leadership team members:
Lisa McClure - New MAGiC Co-Lead!!!
STEM Specialist, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Ellie Mitchell
Director, Maryland Out of School Time Network
MAGiC is collaborating with the Women in Engineering Program at the University of Maryland on a new SciGirls CONNECT partnership to offer educator training in gender equitable strategies for engaging girls. Stay tuned for the announcement about a forum coming soon!
MAGiC is taking part in the Invent It. Build It. EXPO, a hands-on engineering experience with members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), on Saturday, October 26th in the Baltimore Convention Center. Registration is still open. The expo is part of SWE's annual conference and is geared toward girls in grades 6-8 and their parents and educators. Come on out and enjoy the fun!
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Elizabeth for her incredible leadership and vision as co-lead since MAGiC's inception in 2007. She has brought so many wonderful ideas and initiatives to life. While we're sad to see her go, we're looking forward to the future as Elizabeth tackles a new role as our social media guru.
Get ready to follow MAGiC on Twitter and like us on Facebook!
Your partners in collaboration,
Paige E. Smith
Lisa McClure
Bria Barry
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 MAGiC Mini-Grants Application is Open
Application Open Date: October 15, 2013
Close Date: November 14, 2013
Decision Date: December 14, 2013
What is a mini-grant?
Incentive money (up to $1,000) for girl-serving organizations to collaboratively provide STEM programming.
Mini-grants are not designed to supplement ongoing projects, but to enhance access, services, and collaboration between programs and resources.
- At least two programs each from a different organization must collaborate on the mini-grant project.
- All programs collaborating on the mini-grant must be registered in the NGCP Program Directory.
- Projects proposed must include content from the Research Based Strategies in informal learning or evaluation and assessment.
- NEW REQUIREMENT: Mini-grant projects must last longer than a day, unless part of a larger event.
To apply, visit the National Girls Collaborative Project Mini-Grant site. If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact Bria Barry, Women in Engineering Program, University of Maryland.
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Encouraging Girls in Computer Science
Two years ago, in my job as technology specialist for a large suburban school, I noticed that I had very few girls attend my Robotics and computer-programming after-school classes. While we had over 100 girls in our GEMS clubs, and many girls actively participating in the video and digital photography classes, female students just seemed to shy away from the more technical activities. How could I change this?
Then a notice of the Tapestry Workshop at the University of Virginia caught my eye a three-day workshop with all expenses (food and lodging) paid, with the goals of
- Attracting more and diverse students into high school Computer Science classes
- Influencing the perceptions of students, parents, guidance counselors, administrators, and other teachers on the importance of CS courses and the opportunities they provide
- Engaging diverse students in the exciting and rewarding field of computing
This was perfect! But, would they accept me since I worked in the elementary school?
Well, they did, and it changed my whole approach to teaching. And it made a significant difference in the lives of my female students, their parents, and the school. Three days can change many lives.
Tapestry Workshops are funded by NSF and focus on sharing strategies, research-based practices, and field-tested good ideas for teaching computer science in a way that reaches all students regardless of sex or ethnicity. We explored activities for gaining the interest of all students, interacted with national experts on teaching and diversity practices, met university faculty desiring to serve as ambassadors to their schools and formed a network of like-minded people for ongoing discussion and development. And we talked and talked about how we could do better job of attracting girls to Computer Science. And we made changes.
Over the past year, I saw teachers write on our Facebook group page about the recruiting they had done, the events and service projects they had carried out, and the incredible response they had to their changes-Computer Science classes were filled to bursting, with more sections needed and more teachers being hired. I read of contests won, of CS Homecoming Queens and Kings, of computer lab redecoration to make it more gender-neutral and friendly, and of secret doughnut recruitment parties.
And in my school, I changed everything.
We started by having an Intro to Programming after-school class. But instead of just listing it in the class signup sheet, I went on TV and showed my cool posters from NCWIT and did my usual "Girls, I am talking to you-this is going to be great" speech. I emailed all the parents I could and talked up the benefits of learning to program, and I wrote multiple small grants so that we would have cool things to program. And we had equal numbers of boys and girls enroll.
And, you may be saying to yourself, "That is all well and good, but I don't know how to program." Guess what? Neither do I. But I do know how to buy books from Amazon and how to follow directions. And that is what I did.
We used the book "Hello World" 
by a father-son team Warren and Carter Sande. This book had it all--files to download and install, lessons to use with the kids, and a very simple straight-forward approach. I taught them how to program in Python!
Then, after I received my grants, we expanded to Advanced Programming using the Finch Robots. These were the perfect tool for kids, as they needed to see their programs have an effect on something.
The Finch Robots use many languages, so the kids could continue to use Python, or go back and use Scratch and Alice, two languages which have been part of our school's culture for years. And Advanced Programming had equal numbers of boys and girls enrolled too-we had no dropouts-in fact, we had a girl who came and said she wanted to "try out" and she demonstrated enough programming skills that she was admitted.
Through the grants, I also offered a class called "Electronics are Elementary" which was limited to girls, and included taking apart computers and cell phones and other electronic devices and using the very cool 'littleBits' electronics components to create new electronic devices of their own. This class was also full to the maximum, and I rejoiced to hear the girls make the connections between the components they saw and deconstructed in the computers and cell phones and the littleBit components they were using to build their new creations.
After attending and speaking at two seasons of Tapestry Workshops, I am convinced that we can increase the number of girls who explore Computer Science as education or career options. We need to change how we invite and recruit by working to eliminate stereotype threat and making our technology spaces welcoming and appropriate for all.
Laura Reasoner Jones
Founder/Director GEMS Clubs
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 Winchester (VA) STARBASE Academy Middle School Girls Summer Camp
Signal Knob Middle School with the Shenandoah County Public Schools supported the Winchester STARBASE Academy by sending 24 girls for a week of exciting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) activities. These girls experienced incredible hands-on exploratory STEM education opportunities while participating in afive-day program. In order to ensure that all girls had an opportunity to attend, the school district generously provided transportation and lunches to all attendees. In order to be chosen to attend, all interested girls wrote a paragraph explaining why they would like to participate in a week of STEM immersion.
Common themes interwoven amongst all the activities and experiments included STEM careers, teamwork and communication. Aerospace and Robotics Engineering were highlighted through rocket building and launching and robotics programming. The robots were required to successfully traverse a Mars course without running into obstacles. The girls became mechanical engineers while using computer-aided design programming in order to print prototypes off of the 3-dimensional printer.
The fields of structural and textile engineering were introduced through nanotechnology explorations, tower building and roller coaster designing. Launching Alka-Seltzer rockets in film canisters opened minds to the medical chemistry careers, all while reinforcing experimental design and measurement strategies. The field of genetics was explored through the building of "Marshmallow Babies" by determining which dominant and recessive traits were inherited.
Communication and teamwork are vital components of the Engineering Design Process (EDP). A student favorite, crashing an astronaut egg onto the surface of Mars, introduced the EDP and allowed teams to work together to design safety restraint devices in order to successfully land an  unharmed (un-cracked) egg on the hard surface of a new planet. Research into bridge and building designs was a necessary component for the next EDP activity which involved students building strong, tall towers out of spaghetti. Learning about the physics of amusement park rides allowed the girls to design and build roller coasters with loops and hills in order to be the fastest, but safest, ride.
Dr. Lisa Zerull, a nurse with Valley Health, was an inspirational guest speaker for the students. She discussed a wide variety of careers in the medical field and explored the benefits of exercise and heart health. The girls were given the opportunity to explore the heart chambers, valves, myocardial tissue, aortas and vena cava openings of pig hearts, lungs and trachea that were cut in half. Some of the girls were fascinated by the heart; we definitely see some future medical professionals from this group.
A heartfelt thank you goes out to Shenandoah County Public Schools and our guest speakers that helped make this week possible.
Our goal was to inspire the girls into considering a future in a STEM career. They worked very hard all week and had a great time. Sparky, Electro and Flash know there are some future scientists and engineers in this group.
Contact Susan Corrigan, Program Coordinator for more information on the Winchester program.
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GEMS Club Expands Nationally
and Internationally 
Over the past three months, the GEMS (Girls Excelling in Math and Science) clubs have expanded to serve girls across the nation, including the greater Chicago area; Michigan; West Lafayette, IN; Venango County, PA and Madrid, Spain. Clubs have also expanded to include girls from ages 8 to 14, with an emphasis on long-term participation from grades 3-8. Resources on extending the GEMS program into high school will be posted on the GEMS website and facebook page shortly.
GEMS clubs have won many grants over the past 12 months, including grants from Best Buy, The Apple Federal Credit Union, MAGiC, NASA Summer of Innovation and the Northern Virginia Foundation. We are thankful for the interest these organizations have shown in our work and hope to continue to grow.
For more information about the GEMS Club contact Laura Reasoner Jones via email.
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3rd USA Science and Engineering  Festival - April 26-27, 2014
What is the universe made of? Why did dinosaurs go extinct? What do magic tricks and hip-hop have to with math? What will be the next medical breakthrough? What do fossils and rocks tell us about the Earth's secrets? What does baseball have to do with physics? Find out at the 3rd USA Science & Engineering Festival Expo! Explore hands on exhibits from 750 of the World's leading professional scientific and engineering societies, universities, government agencies, high tech corporations and STEM outreach and community organizations.
The two-day Expo is perfect for teens, children and their families, and anyone with a curious mind who is looking for a weekend of fun and discovery. Meet science celebrities like Mike Rowe, host of the Discovery Channel's Dirty Job series, Bill Nye the Science Guy, David Pogue, host of NOVA ScienceNow series on PBS, and Grammy Award-winning alternative music band "They Might Be Giants!"
New this year: The Festival is hosting the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference, bringing in 2,500 STEM professionals from across the country and several science teacher associations including thousands of teachers! On Thursday April 24, 2014 middle and high school students will have a chance to view presentations from the most inspiring STEM professionals at X-STEM Extreme STEM Symposium and the Festival will feature Teacher Development Workshops at the Expo!
Visit the USASEF often as it is continuously updated!
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Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming STEM Events Across the Region
Explore Engineering for High School Women
October 11-12, 2013 || Sweet Briar, VA
Contact: Paulette Porter-Stransky
Phone: 434.381.6447
Website: Explore Engineering for HS Women
Email: Paulette Porter-Stransky
Address: 134 Chapel Rd, Sweet Briar, VA 24595
Our events are built around hands-on, team-based design projects that emphasize creativity. No engineering experience is needed to attend. We have now completed 5 years of Explore events! More than 240 high school women have attended one or more of our events. Students have fun while working with engineering faculty and students. These events are a great way to see what engineering is all about - and to experience campus life at Sweet Briar. During each camp, students stay with college mentors.
Date: Oct 11-12th, starts Friday 5pm - ends Sat 5pm
Age: high school women
Cost: $30 for meals, lodging, supplies, t-shirt.
Girls Only STEM Day
October 19, 2013 || Annapolis, MD
Contact: Dr. Angela Moran
Website: USNA STEM
Email: Dr. Angela Moran
Address: 590 Holloway Rd, US Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD 21402
Our day-long event includes hands-on activities in biology, electronics, chemistry,robotics, medicine, aerospace, controls, materials, design, environmental science, mechanical engineering, mathematics and more. Girls will attend workshops, and meet women of all ages working with exciting technologies in a wide range of science and engineering careers. No cost to attend. Pizza lunch will be served to the girls.
Dates: October 19, 2013, 8am-4pm
Age: Middle school girls
Fee: Free
Girl Scout Engineer Saturday
October 19, 2013 || College Park, MD
Contact: Vanessa Medley
Phone: 301-405-0315
Website: GSES
Email: Vanessa Medley
Address: 1131 Glenn L. Martin Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
This program is for local girl scout troops in Maryland and Washington metropolitan areas. Cadettes and Seniors (grades 6-12) engage in fun hands-on activities and earn a participation patch. This program is offered twice a year in October and February.
Dates: October 19, 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
Age: Entering the 4th or 5th grade in fall 2013
Fees: $10 upon acceptance into the program.
Girls Night Out Workshop
October 18, 2013 || Chesapeake, VA
Contact: Robin Frazier
Phone: 757.925.9917
Website: Bricks4Kidz
Email: Robin Frazier
Address: GS Headquarters Bldg., 912 Cedar Rd., Chesapeake VA 23322
STEM Based Science Enrichment to introduce girls and girl scouts to the world of Engineering using Lego (R) Bricks. We are hosting a brick building night to help girls gain basic concepts in engineering, by following instructions, spatial reasoning, hand eye coordination to develop skills and ability in a safe and fun atmosphere. Girls will also learn some history about the inventions and have extra assignments if they would like to complete a badge.
Dates: October 19th, 6-9pm.
Cost: $16
KEYs to Empowering Youth @ UMD
November 16, 2013 || College Park, MD
Contact: Vanessa Medley
Phone: 301-405-0315
Website: KEYS@UMD
Email: Vanessa Medley
Address: 1131 Glenn L. Martin Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
This science and technology mentoring program for 11-13 year old girls is designed to provide them with the opportunity to meet and work with women studying and working in science and engineering. The KEYs program provides interactive, hands-on activities that stress the importance of engineering, science, and technology and their impact on society.
Dates: November 16, 9am - 3pm
Age: Girls ages 11-13
Fees: $20 upon acceptance into the program.
ready set design!
November 16, 3013 || Baltimore MD
Website: ready set design!
Address: Levering Hall, JHU Homewood Campus, Baltimore MD
Ready Set Design! is a program at Johns Hopkins University for middle school girls to learn about engineering in a fun and interactive way. You'll design and build a project as part of a design team, and you'll get to work with college students studying engineering as well as local engineering professionals. The program is free and open to all middle school girls in grades 6 to 8.
Ages: Middle school girls
Date: November 16th, 10am - 1pm
Fee: No cost.
The Environmental Science Summer Research Experience for Young Women (E.S.S.R.E.)
July 7-25, 2014 || Baltimore, MD
Contact: David Brock
Phone: 410.323.5500
Website: E.S.S.R.E.
Email: Dave Brock
Address: 5204 Roland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21210
E.S.S.R.E. is a nationally recognized 3 week summer research internship in environmental field studies open to any 9th and 10th grade girl from the greater Baltimore area. Participants explore the soil chemistry and biota of the Roland Park Country School campus, author and test lab activities for studying soil microenvironments, and adapt these labs for dissemination and use in a wide variety of educational situations and socio-economic conditions. The program's primary objectives are to give this target audience the opportunity to engage in authentic, self-directed primary research into the ecological roles of soil microbes and, as a result, to nurture their interest in science as a possible career. Interns learn a variety of research skills, including statistical analysis, science writing, and web design, and are paid a small stipend for their time.
Applications for the 2014 program are available starting October 1, 2013 and can be obtained by e-mailing the Project Director, David Brock.
Dates: July 7-25, 2014, 9am - 4pm
Ages: 9 & 10th graders.
National Youth Summit Conference Series
January-February 2014 || Chevy Case, MD
Contact: Michael Palmer
Phone: 800-368-7432
Email: Michael Palmer
Website: National Youth Summit
Address: National 4-H Conference Center, 7100 Connecticut Ave, Chevy Chase, MD
Students are invited to a national conference for high school students who are interested in advancing their skills around Science, Technology and Healthy Living. Students will have the opportunity to network with mentors in the science field and explore potential career paths. The National Youth Summits are taking place in January and February 2014 are open to high school students and their adult chaperones. Registration for the three Summits is open.
Dates:
Healthy Living: Jan 9-12, 2014
Agri-Sci: Jan 16-20, 2014
Robotics: Feb 13-17, 2014
Ages: Students in grades 9-12 as of Sep 2013
Cost: from $495 - $795
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 Mark Your Calendar: Upcoming STEM Conferences and Webinars
SWE 13 Annual Conference of the Society of Engineers*
Date: October 24-26, 2013
Location: Baltimore MD
Website: SWE 13
*Also on Oct 26th: Invent it. Build it. Expo.
The CLOSE IT Summit
Website: Close it
Date: November 5-7, 2013
Location: Capital Hilton, Washington DC
National Girls Collaborative Project Webinar
Title: Messaging, Marketing and Media to Engage Girls in Stem
Date: November 14, 2013, 3-4 pm ET
Website: NGCP Webinar
Parent STEMpowerment Workshop
Date: November 17, 2013
Location: Kossiakoff Center, JHU APL,11100 Johns Hopkins Rd., Laurel MD
Register here.
U.S. News STEM Solutions National Conference
(at the USA Science & Engineering Festival)
Date: April 23-25, 2014
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