Happy Women’s History Month Girl w\/Pen Family!!<\/p>\n
The best and worst part of being a science grrl is that most people in my life know that I’m all “Women can do math and science!” I’m such a big cheerleader for math and science that some people are fearful to admit to me that they think science is boring or they hate math. When I go into mini-lectures diagnosing why someone thinks they are bad at math or is in fact bad at math, I usually discover that there was a bad teacher who specifically told my friend that they couldn’t do math, sometimes because my friend was a girl. There are times when we chat and realize that science and engineering was never fully explained or explored.<\/p>\n
That’s why I love science documentaries! How else is a kid in the middle of Kansas going to know the amazement of marine biology? How else was math going to reel me in if it weren’t for Donald Duck and his magic billiard shots<\/a> in Mathmagic Land?<\/a> We, grown-ups\/parents\/mentors\/awesome aunties, need to find ways to show how awesome science, math, technology and engineering can be for the young people in our lives.<\/p>\n In that spirit, the Smithsonian Channel launched a new series of shows on Sunday focused on women in science<\/a> with “A Woman Among Wolves.” <\/a>The show is exciting, highlights women and did I mention exciting? Toss out the old image of scientists stuck inside with shiny white lab coats! They are outside with wolves and bats.<\/a><\/p>\n So what if these shows don’t spark an interest in science? Use it as a springboard to talk about other fields. Are the bats too gross? What other animals would the kid in your life want to follow around and watch? Maybe animals aren’t their thing? Plants? Stars? Their MP3 player?<\/p>\n Science is everywhere and with the proper prompt a great conversation can help you introduce a kid to science or engineering. Need some help? Catch the 6th Annual 24 hour Global Marathon For, By and About Women in Engineering. <\/a>Find a website like SciGirls<\/a>.<\/p>\n Most of us were raised to think of math and science as intimidating. Something for the chosen few. As a chemistry professor I work with likes to say, “If I can do it, so can you.”<\/p>\n And to start you off in the wonderful world of science and fun, I am giving away a gift pack from the Smithsonian!<\/strong> Leave a comment with your email address and that’s your entry. That’s it.<\/p>\n *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~<\/p>\n