Date:  November 1, 2007

CONTACT:  Mary Riherd Broomfield, Marketing and Public Relations Director
                (626) 445-7771, ext. 313, mbroomfield@gsmwvc.org

IN THE NEWS!
Time Warner Cable featured two segments on the Family Science Festival on its CNN Headline News that airs throughout the San Gabriel Valley in November and December, 2007! Visit www.twcsocalnews.com. 


Wonders of Science Abound at Family Science Festival 2007!
Endeavour Astronaut Dr. Tracy Caldwell and Actress & Author Danica McKellar Inspire Girls

It was all about science for Girl Scouts on Sunday, October 28, as Girl Scouts – Mt. Wilson Vista Council hosted more than 1,000 Los Angeles County Girl Scouts and their families for a fun-filled day of exploring the wonders of science and technology.  Girls traveled from booth to booth with a Science Planet Passport to complete activities and earn recognitions; learn about careers in the science, technology, engineering and math fields (STEM); and meet industry professionals. The inaugural event featured Special Guests Endeavour Astronaut Dr. Tracy E. Caldwell and Danica McKellar, of TV's The Wonder Years and The West Wing and author of Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle School Math Without Losing Your Mind or Breaking a Nail. Family Science Festival 2007 was held at Monrovia High School. Also on hand were Mt. Wilson Vista Council’s first Robotics Teams. The teams, which include Girl Scouts from throughout Los Angeles County, demonstrated their skills in engineering, math, creativity and teamwork. The teams will compete in a regional competition later this year.

During a special program, Danica and Dr. Caldwell spoke about their experiences and about opportunities for women in the STEM fields. Dr. Caldwell, mission specialist for the Endeavour crew that recently completed the 119th space shuttle flight in August, was born in and grew up in the San Gabriel Valley.  She encouraged girls to work hard and reach for the stars and told the story of her recent mission with a vivid slide show and video presentation.

Danica spoke about her early fear of math and how she overcame it. She relayed how her growing passion for math helped her write a groundbreaking book that uses hip and entertaining examples to teach middle-school girls and their parents how to master many of the tough concepts introduced in middle school – the time when young girls begin to shy away from math.

The quad at Monrovia High School was filled with the sights and sounds of discovery and experimentation throughout the afternoon.  One of the most popular booths was the Mars Rover demonstration in which girls could lie down and be “run over” by the robotic vehicle.  Also space-related, The Johnson Space Center sponsored a display of robotic arms that girls operated to pick up marbles.  This activity simulated the technology the astronauts used aboard space shuttle Endeavour.

Over 40 exhibitors brought the wonders of science, technology engineering and math alive with everything from solar telescopes to search and rescue technology to rubics cubes to the science of crime scene investigation.  Participants included the California Science Center, UCLA Astronomy Department, Xerox and Northrup Grumman, among others.

Mt. Wilson Vista Council hosted Family Science Festival 2007 in the beautiful foothill community of Monrovia, which is home to a growing concentration of high-tech businesses. Both large and start-up high-tech, bio-tech and nano-tech firms have located along Monrovia's East Huntington Drive technology corridor, putting the community at the core of the San Gabriel Valley's technology-based industries.

Girl Scouts of the USA has a 95-year tradition of encouraging girls to explore and enjoy the STEM fields, areas that girls tend to steer away from due to academic stereotypes and social environments.  Today, Girl Scouts offers 75 badges in the STEM subjects and locally Mt. Wilson Vista Council partners with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA and the Night Sky Network of Astronomers, among others, on a variety of programs.

Family Science Festival 2007 served as a kick-off for the many STEM programs now being offered by Girl Scouts – Mt. Wilson Vista Council.  New STEM opportunities range from a new Council’s Own Math Badge and Science IPA to a program in collaboration with the Optical Society of America and Caltech students that teaches girls 11-14 about optics and its practical applications.  Other programs include Girl Scouts on the Set, which provides girls the unique opportunity to develop an original Public Service Announcement; a national pilot program called GSI: Girl Scouts Investigate, which introduces Junior Girl Scouts to the fascinating world of forensics; and a robotics program.

For more information about Girl Scouts – Mt. Wilson Vista Council’s STEM programs, contact Judy Hubbs, Program and Volunteer Development Director at (626) 445-7771, ext. 311, or jhubbs@gsmvc.org.



To read featured news stories that have appeared on the Homepage in past weeks, click here.