Wellesley Students Host Science Club for Girls Science Fair for Elementary and Middle School Students

Through the Wellesley Science Club for Girls, Wellesley students share their love of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math with girls from throughout the Greater Boston area. These young scientists are part of the Science Club for Girls (SCFG), a Boston-based after-school program that exposes girls to science in a collaborative learning environment through hands-on science-based activities.

Students in the SCFG Wellesley College chapter team up with Junior Assistants (middle and high school students) and meet weekly, leading groups of six to ten girls in activities where they make observations and test hypotheses; keep journals as biologists, chemists, and physicists; and design and build various structures as engineers.

This fall, the young participants attended a Science Fair at Wellesley where they had the opportunity to interact with thought-provoking exhibits designed by Wellesley students. Among other activities, the girls examined calcium deficiency with MAPS (Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students), worked with Geoscience students to understand the importance of proper urban planning, got a lesson in polymers by making “slime” with the Chemistry Society,  explored concepts of vertigo with SLAM DUNK (Science Learning and Mentoring: Discovering and Understanding New Knowledge) and even built and launched their own model rockets with the ASTRO Club.

“We had a great turnout this year!” said campus chapter co-presidents Priya Patel ‘16 and Lisa Truong ‘16. “It is encouraging to see bright, young girls actively engaged with college-aged students, all sharing their love of science. The girls were having fun and were impressed by the science organizations’ various activities.”

In addition to planning and executing the Science Fair, Wellesley students also work year-round to further the goals of the Club by developing curricula and volunteering in a weekend teaching and mentoring program for girls in grades K-5.

Advised by Jocelyne Dolce, an instructor in Biological Sciences, and Connie Bauman, PERA Professor of the Practice, Wellesley’s chapter became a SCFG Campus Chapter member in September 2014. Wellesley College President H. Kim Bottomly, a renowned immunobiologist, is an active member of the SCFG Board of Directors. Her strong advocacy for the organization’s outreach and mentoring programs spurred the development of the Wellesley Chapter.

Students interested in joining should visit the Wellesley Science Club for Girls’ webpage for more information.