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Southern Illinois
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Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Math
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(SISTEM) Network
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Who are we?
The Southern Illinois Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
Network is a group working to encourage girls and women to develop and
maintain interests in science, engineering, and math as possible career
choices. The Southern Illinois STEM Network is funded by
with initial support from the
National
Science Foundation
and current funding from the
Engineering Information Foundation
Our group consists of scientists, engineers, mathematicians,
librarians, graduate students, parents, teachers, school counselors, and
those interested in future STEM careers. SIUC's Women in Science
and Engineering (WISE) Group began organizing programs for girls in 1991,
and is currently developing new projects.
What do we do?
The Southern Illinois STEM Network coordinates a variety
of science, technology, engineering, and math experiences and activities
for Southern Illinois girls in grades 4 through 12, as well as for their
parents, teachers, and counselors. We wish to encourage girls to develop
their own natural interest in STEM from an early age, and to provide girls
with a series of exciting STEM activities to fit their age, experience,
and skill as they progress through school.
The Database of Science Activities
Another project of the Southern Illinois STEM Network
is to compile a listing of local extracurricular science activities and
resources which supplement our program. The objective is to make this information
readily available to students, teachers, parents, counselors, and others
interested in promoting careers in science, engineering, and math. The
Database of Science Activities is divided into several sections based upon
type of activity, and includes links (when available) to home pages or
to other pages that provide more detail about the activity or resource.
For more specific information, click on any of the
following:
Upcoming
Fun Science Events
Fun
STEM Links on the Web
Museums
and Observatories
Nature
Trails/Archeological Sites
STEM
Resources for Teachers and Parents
STEM
Career and College Information
Organizations
for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
What have we done lately?
Over the past several years, the Southern Illinois
STEM Network has organized the following activities:
Gateways
to Science Workshop, for grades 11-12
Expanding
Your Horizons (EYH), for grades 7-9,
View
World Wide Web Home Pages constructed by girls at November, 1998's
EYH
Expanding
Your Horizons Photo Album
Building
Science Center Exhibits, for grades 10-11
Women in
Science and Engineering (WISE) Summer Camp, for grades 11-12
Science
Experiences for Girls' Groups, for grades 4-6
Science
Fair Support Workshops, for grades 7-10
Why do we do this?
Women and girls continue to be underrepresented in science,
technology, engineering, and math in both education and employment. Interest
in these fields seems to lessen if girls are not given encouragement, support,
and a chance to participate in STEM activities throughout their elementary
and high school years. We hope to help make a change in girls' lives by
supporting and encouraging their early interest in STEM, by motivating
them through participation in a series of age appropriate activities, and
by providing support from adults in STEM careers. We hope that girls will
consider a career in STEM as a possibility as we move into an age of increased
use of science and technology in our daily lives.
The same needs were emphasized in a news
release covering the recent Women In Technology International (WITI)
conference.
Would you like to contact us?
We would be happy to hear your questions, comments, recommendations,
or interest in participating in the Southern Illinois STEM Network. To
email us using a form, just click
Southern Illinois STEM Network
or
write :
Prof. Harackiewicz
Southern Illinois STEM Network
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL 62901-6603
*** Updated: 7/26/00 ***