Girls "GetSet" to explore careers in science
Students and parents gathered at Fallon Middle School in Dublin recently for the GetSet orientation for the current school year.
GetSet, or Girls Exploring Technology, Science and Engineering Together, is a year-long program of hands-on workshops and field trips to keep girls interested in science, technology, engineering and math. The program is organized by the Tri-Valley Regional Occupation Program.
"The goal of GetSet is to introduce girls to a variety of technical post-secondary careers to keep them enrolled in math, science and technology classes and to demonstrate the link between current classes and future career paths," GetSet Director Ginny McGaha said.
The orientation was kicked off by Pam Hullinger, LLNL’s chief veterinary officer, who talked about her educational background as well as her career experience with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, UC Davis and LLNL.
Hullinger stressed the importance of having goals in life, and doing research as early as possible to know what is required for college acceptance programs. Her passion for science is evident; many girls lined up after the orientation to ask her questions.
"Remember, it’s not just the goal, it’s enjoying the ride that is important," she said, encouraging girls not only to discover what they want to do, but to take pleasure in every day it takes to get there.
This year’s upcoming GetSet workshops include: Chemistry in Nursing, Physics of Cars, Forensic Science and Nanotechnology. Field trips include: Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for a behind-the-scenes look at dolphins, walruses and killer whales; and University of the Pacific in Stockton to tour the pharmacy program. Girls are encouraged to take advantage of GetSet for as many years as possible. One senior from Foothill High School in Pleasanton was back for a third time. "I love this program because I want to experience all different areas of science and math careers since I am not sure what I want to do. It lets me get a glimpse of what is involved in different science careers. This is fun. It lets us use what we learn in school and apply it to real jobs."
The GetSet program was funded in part by the Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC (LLNS) Gifts and Grants Program. GetSet was founded in the Tri-Valley in 1993 and currently has about 230 girls enrolled in the program. The workshops are led by Tri-Valley high school teachers and occasionally instructors at Las Positas Community College.
Students gear up for science fair
How do I prepare a winning science fair project? How do I talk to the judges?
These are two of the questions answered during "Science Fair 101", a program tailored for students who will compete in the 2009 Tri-Valley Science and Engineering Fair (TVSEF) next March.
Volunteers from LLNL discussed how to create a safe science project, submit projects, interact with the judges, design a winning project poster, write abstracts and conduct literature reviews, and cite references.
The free two-day presentation was held at the Edward Teller Education Center in Livermore and at Dublin High School, on Saturday, Oct. 25, and Nov. 15, respectively. The program was sponsored by LLNL and Dublin High School.
