Help Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

On Nov. 23, President Barack Obama announced the establishment of National Lab Day, an effort supported by AAUW and more than 200 other organizations representing over 6.5 million science, technology, engineering and math professionals and teachers. Now is the time to get involved!

Are you a math, science, or engineering teacher? Are you a professional scientist, engineer, college student, or professor? If so, National Lab Day is for you. Visit the National Lab Day website at www.nationallabday.org/groups/aauw to join in this exciting new initiative.

While National Lab Day is tentatively scheduled for early May 2010, it is more than just a day. It's a nationwide movement to bring together science, technology, engineering, and math professionals and teachers to provide high-quality, hands-on, lab experiences for students. It's about all of us working together to give children access to well-equipped labs and to the professionals who can inspire them.

AAUW members and supporters are critical to the success of National Lab Day. These projects will be teacher driven. Teachers can partner with outside experts to work to assess current labs, update or refurbish lab equipment, conduct equipment and materials inventory, or clean and repair equipment. Or you can elect to have professionals work with you to:
• implement hands-on projects
• start a fundraising effort to buy needed supplies
• help with science fairs
• mentor a student
• coordinate and host field trips
• provide internship opportunities
• donate materials
• assist with lesson plans
Projects can also center on computer or outdoor labs-anywhere where hands-on lessons in these subjects can come alive. These are just a few of the suggestions, and many more can be found at www.nationallabday.org/projects/all.

In addition, we will need the help of professional scientists, engineers, and college students and professors. These volunteers will engage in activities with teachers. There are many ways for professionals to be involved such as:
• find, donate, or repair equipment
• implement hands-on projects
• help with science fairs
• mentor a student
• chaperone field trips
• provide internship opportunities
• donate materials
• help with lesson plans
• be an advisor for an after-school program
Take Action!
To participate, simply visit www.nationallabday.org/groups/aauw and click on "teachers" or "scientists and engineers." Then fill out the form. Please select American Association of University Women (AAUW) as the professional organization. You can also see what projects have already been entered at www.nationallabday.org/projects/all. If you are a volunteer, this is a great way to sign up for already existing projects. If you are a teacher, click on projects to get ideas about the types of projects teachers are doing.

Attracting women and girls to these fields is critical to U.S. competitiveness.

If women and members of other traditionally underrepresented groups joined the science, engineering, technology, and math workforce in proportion to their representation in the overall labor force, the shortage of these professionals would disappear. Although women make up half of the workforce, they only comprise 25 percent of the labor force in science, engineering and technology fields.

AAUW urges you to join the cause at www.nationallabday.org/groups/aauw to help break through barriers for women and girls in science, technology, enigeering, and math.

For more information on women and girls in these fields, visit AAUW or the AAUW-led National Girls Collaborative Project.

Questions? Contact VoterEd@aauw.org.

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The grassroots liaisons in AAUW's Leadership Corps program will be reaching out to AAUW branch leaders to provide mentoring and assistance. Whether you are a member of an AAUW branch (an officer or not) or a member-at-large interested in becoming involved with other AAUW members, please fill out the online form here to indicate areas of branch programming or administration for which you would like assistance.

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