Date:  November 21, 2007

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




Girl Scouts “Lighten Up” With New Optics Program
Lighten Up! Discovering the Science of Light, an innovative and exciting optics learning experience for girls, is underway for local Girl Scouts in Alhambra.

As part of its emphasis on programs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), GSUSA has partnered with the Optical Society of America (OSA) Foundation to develop this special program being offered to girls ages 11-15.

Through its partnership with GSUSA, OSA's Local Sections and Student Chapters are committed to working with area councils to help present exciting programs related to this topic and to serve as mentors.  Students from the OSA chapter at Caltech partnered with Girl Scouts – Mt. Wilson Vista Council.

By engaging in fun, hands-on activities such as making their own sunset in a bottle, using Jell-O to understand how lenses work, and even making their own telescope, girls are learning about the exciting world of optics, and why it is so important to everyday life. Through “Girls Loving All Math and Science” at Martha Baldwin Elementary and “Science Adventure” at Northrup Elementary, Girl Scouts in Alhambra are participating in the program that runs through mid-December 2007.

In addition to the hands-on experience, girls are learning about optics concepts related to current research that impacts them today, and about the many career opportunities in the field.

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.

The Optical Society of America (OSA) is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of worldwide research, scientific publishing, conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and the education of new generations of scientists.


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