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DEMONSTRATING POSITIVE EFFECTS OF INFORMAL EDUCATION ON FORMAL EDUCATION

STUDY SHOWS GIRLSTART AFTER SCHOOL STUDENTS PERFORM BETTER ACADEMICALLY THAN PEERS, DEMONSTRATING POSITIVE EFFECTS OF INFORMAL EDUCATION ON FORMAL EDUCATION

(AUSTIN) – In the past year, Girlstart’s STEM education programming for girls have been lauded by Change the Equation (a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States), invited to participate in the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference for its second straight year, and has reached its largest student audience in its history through its DeSTEMber online education program, in partnership with a number of prominent STEM-centric organizations across the nation, including the San Diego Zoo and The Franklin Institute.
Now, Girlstart has published a groundbreaking, externally-verified study showing that a representative sample of its Girlstart After School students from two Austin-area school districts outperformed non-participant peers in 5th STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) math and science testing.

“We’ve known through observing the success of girls participating in Girlstart programs that they’re becoming more invested in math and science, but now have a study showing measurable and quantifiable improvement based on standardized state testing performance,” said Tamara Hudgins, Ph.D., executive director of Girlstart. “It demonstrates what we’ve been able to observe first-hand as we’ve expanded Girlstart After School to reach more students than ever – this program is working.”

Highlights of the study, comparing the math and science test scores of Girlstart participants and non-participants from similar socioeconomic backgrounds, grade level ethnicity, and Limited English Proficiency status, include:

In Spring 2013, 76% of Austin ISD Girlstart After School girls passed the 5th grade science test, versus 41% of comparison group members and 64% of all students (both boys and girls at Girlstart partner schools).
Over a two-year period, 71% of Austin ISD Girlstart girls passed the 5th grade science test, while only 48% of comparison group members (and 62% of all students) passed. In math, 85% of Girlstart girls passed, compared to 70% of comparison group members (and 73% of all students at AISD partner schools).
In 2013, 87% of Girlstart After School girls at Georgetown ISD partner schools passed 5th grade math, compared to 77% of students overall at partner schools. Over a two-year period, 82% of Girlstart girls passed the 5th grade science STAAR, compared to 77% of students overall at GISD partner schools.
In both years, Girlstart girls achieved Commended scores at significantly higher rates than the general school population – important because girls who earn Commended Performance scores in 5th grade can register for advanced or pre-AP math and science courses in middle school without having to test into those courses.
Subsequently, the study found that Girlstart participants are enrolling in advanced and pre-AP math and science, with 1.58 advanced courses per girl, compared to 1.00 per non-participating girl.

This year’s Girlstart After School programs reached more than 1,000 girls in Texas, in 43 partner schools throughout Texas – specifically, in the Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio metro areas and in the Rio Grande Valley.

Previous studies conducted by Girlstart show that its students display extremely high levels of acumen, interest, and confidence with respect to STEM education – with 92 percent pursuing scientific interests outside the classroom, 97 percent planning to attend college after high school (with 55 percent of these set to be first-generation college students), and 95 percent indicating an interest in pursuing a STEM career.

ABOUT GIRLSTART

Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is the only community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, through year-round programming that promotes girls’ early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs.
Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged, and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the world’s greatest challenges.

Girlstart Executive Director Tamara Hudgins part of the keynote lineup

NEWS RELEASE

March 21, 2014

Girlstart commits support to U.S. News STEM Solutions

Austin, TX—Girlstart is proud to announce its support of U.S. News STEM

Solutions 2014—The National Leadership Conference, taking place in

Washington, D.C. from April 23-25. For the third year, leaders in education,

policy and workforce development will convene to advance the national STEM

agenda.

Girlstart has a history of creating and providing STEM education for elementary

and middle-school-aged girls. Founded in Austin in 1997, Girlstart is the only

community-based informal STEM education nonprofit in the nation specifically

dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM, though a year-round

curriculum (including summer camps, after-school camps, and online STEM

education programs) designed to engage girls and inspire them to pursue STEM

careers.

This year’s theme, Where Employers and Educators Meet, exemplifies the

mission of the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference – to engage a broad

community of educators, policymakers and business leaders in finding solutions

to a problem that is at the heart of America’s economic recovery.

As a recognized leader in STEM and supporting partner of the conference,

Girlstart plays an important role, helping to shed light on STEM issues, including

gender inequity in STEM fields, and the need to encourage more girls to pursue

STEM education. The involvement of Girlstart ensures that each aspect of the

national STEM problem remains top-of-mind. Girlstart’s Executive Director

Tamara Hudgins will participate in the conference keynote line-up on Thursday,

April 24th.

U.S. News & World Report has enthusiastically welcomed the organization’s

involvement. “We are proud to have the support of organizations who recognize

the urgency of making progress on STEM,” says Brian Kelly, editor and chief

content officer. “We look forward to their valuable insights and involvement at

U.S. News STEM Solutions.”

Girlstart invites you to help shape our nation’s future and has negotiated a

special program rate for its network of contacts who register using code: GS14.

To learn more about how you can help shape our nation’s future by participating

in U.S. News STEM Solutions 2014, visit www.USNewsSTEMSolutions.com.

###

Girlstart, founded in Austin in 1997, is the only community-based informal STEM

education nonprofit in the nation specifically dedicated to empowering and

equipping girls in STEM, through year-round programming that promotes girls’

early engagement and academic success in STEM, encourages girls’ aspirations

and persistence in STEM education and careers, and incubates a talented and

diverse STEM workforce. Its innovative, nationally-recognized programs include

after-school and summer camps for students, professional development for

teachers, and community and online STEM education outreach programs.

Girlstart cultivates a culture where risk is rewarded, curiosity is encouraged,

and creativity is expected. As a result, Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and

resilient. Girlstart makes girls more successful, and inspires them to take on the

world’s greatest challenges.

U.S. News STEM Solutions—The National Leadership Conference is a mission-critical

event focused on the shortage of science, technology, engineering and math skills in

the American workforce. Produced by U.S. News & World Report, it brings the issue

onto the national stage and assembles major corporations, leading educators, top

policymakers and education technology companies in order to create the collective

impact needed to fill jobs now and advance the future STEM workforce. In 2014, the

conference is held April 23 – 25, 2014 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in

Washington, D.C. in conjunction with the USA Science and Engineering Festival.

U.S. News & World Report—a multi-platform publisher of news and analysis,

which includes the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com, and

www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Personal Finance, Education,

Travel, Cars, and Public Service/Opinion, U.S. News has earned a reputation as the

leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its

readers. U.S. News & World Report’s signature franchise includes its News You Can

Use® brand of journalism and its annual “Best” series of consumer web guides and

publications that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds,

health plans, and more.

US News STEM Solutions Media Contact:

Alyssa Amand | Public Relations Coordinator | Marketing Design Group

Phone: 202.304.1956

Email: alyssa@marketingdesigngroup.com

ALLOWING MORE THAN 500 GIRLS TO ENGAGE WITH WOMEN WORKING IN STEM CAREERS

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR 9TH ANNUAL GIRLS IN STEMCONFERENCE ON APRIL 12, ALLOWING MORE THAN 500 GIRLS TO ENGAGE WITH WOMEN WORKING IN STEM CAREERS

(AUSTIN) – Imagine you’re a fifth-grade girl who loves math and science, wondering if there’s a way to use those skills when you grow up. Then, imagine over the source of a single day, you can perform DNA isolation on strawberries, create an adhesive similar to what’s used in tape, and build a city out of candy – with the guidance of Austin-area women who get to do these sorts of things for a living.

Thanks to the Girls in STEM conference, a great number of Austin-area girls can get glimpses of what STEM careers to pursue from professionals who do so on a daily basis.

Now in its 9th year, the Girls in STEM Conference – coming to Travis High School (1211 E. Oltorf) on Saturday, April 12 – will show more than 500 Austin-area girls how they can utilize STEM education in a range of professional settings. The conference, hosted by Girlstart, is one on the non-profit organization’s longest- running programs, specifically geared toward Girlstart’s mission of inspiring girls to pursue STEM careers.

The Girls in STEM Conference involves 20 presenters who work professionally in STEM careers, leading hands-on workshops that teach STEM precepts and showcase what kinds of careers are available for college students completing STEM studies.

“The Girls In STEM Conference gives us the opportunity to allow girls to see first- hand what careers are possible through STEM,” said Tamara Hudgins, executive director of Girlstart. “The workshops are fun and engaging in the moment, and yet they help girls to think about what they’ll be what they grow up, and how to prepare for those possibilities at a time when it’s crucial that girls keep engaged with STEM.”

The 9th edition of the conference is one of Girlstart’s first major educational projects for 2014; Girlstart is also planning an expanded slate of summer camps this year (including making its debuts in several cities), and continued growth of its DeSTEMber program, a month-long series of daily online activities designed to keep students engaged with STEM education leading up and during the winter holiday.

Girlstart highlights from last year include the launch of its inaugural Women in STEM Awards, honoring the contributions of STEM professionals in Texas; the opening of its STEM Studio and Mini-Planetarium, expanding its programming capacity for STEM education at Austin’s Girlstart STEM Center; and being named one of four exemplary STEM programs ready for nationwide implementation by Change the Equation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States.

LAUDED BY CHANGE THE EQUATION AS ONE OF THE BEST STEM PROGRAMS IN THE NATION

GIRLSTART ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR ITS 2014 SUMMER CAMPS, LAUDED BY CHANGE THE EQUATION AS ONE OF THE BEST STEM PROGRAMS IN THE NATION

Girlstart has announced its lineup for its 2014 Summer Camps – the latest in a series of award-winning programs for elementary and middle school girls, which a leading STEM organization recently lauded as one of the nation’s best STEM education programs.

Austin-area parents can now register their daughters for a program praised this past October by Change the Equation, the nonprofit, nonpartisan, CEO-led initiative that is mobilizing the business community to improve the quality of STEM learning in the United States. The organization declared Girlstart Summer Camp only one of four national programs immediately ready for nationwide scalability.

“We’ve prepared a diverse group of summer camps this year, that appeal to incoming 4th-8th grade girls and shows them how STEM is connected to the things they like most” said Katelyn Wamsted, Program Director of Girlstart. “We’re introducing girls to app making and 3D technologies, debuting brand-new features like the floor piano, and we’re utilizing our STEM Studio and Mini-Planetarium. We’re very excited about what we have to offer girls throughout Central Texas this year.”

Girlstart is making early registration available at $275 per week for those who sign up between now and March 24, with $300 full-price registration available for March 25 to May 27. Girlstart recommends early registration in order to secure spots; a number of the camps sell out by the end of the school year.

Girlstart will also be hosting an open house on Thursday, March 6 from 4-6 p.m. specifically geared for summer camp registration, showcasing some of the activities girls will participate in during the camps.

This year’s camps – which continue the Girlstart formula of fusing essential STEM education concepts with fun, creative, girl-centric programming – start on June 9, and include the following programs:

Animal World*
June 9-13, June 16-20, June 23-27
for incoming 4th-5th & 6th-8th 
graders

Girls will explore the habitats, adaptations and body systems of unique creatures in the animal kingdom, and will design a virtual 3D habitat and program an app.

Sound Check
July 7-11 & July 14-18
for incoming 6th-8th
 graders

Girls will design an instrument from recycled materials, make and play a floor piano, create a virtual 3D stage and program an app to make music.

Ice Age
July 7-11 & July 14-18
for incoming 4th-5th
 graders

Girls will participate in a range of cold-weather themes STEM activities, incorporating winter animals, clothing, weather and the Winter Olympics.

Adventure Land
July 21-25 & July 28-Aug 1
for incoming 6th-8th graders

Girls will create a theme park, using their imagination to engineer a roller coaster thrill ride, design the amusement buildings, produce an animated commercial and more.

Girlstart & the Olympians
July 21-25 & July 28-Aug 1
for incoming 4th-5th graders

This camp, based on the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series, will allow girls to create a rocket to help Hermes fly, engineer a boat to cross the River of Hades, discover the stories behind the stars in our Mini-Planetarium and more.

For more information on the camps, visit Girlstart’s website; the Summer Camp page is at http://www.girlstart.org/our-programs/summer-camp