Imagine, your daughter
comes to you and says, “Mom, I want to be
an engineer when I grow up.” Would you
be excited? You should be. Being an engineer or a research
scientist can be one of the most exciting and rewarding
jobs for a young woman. But
we need to let our daughters find this out for themselves;
otherwise they may never reach the point where they come
to you with their newfound purpose.
 |
Nearly
900 people awaiting the launch of TOYchallenge 2005's
East Coast Nationals' results, at RTP's Sigma Xi
Center. |
The
goal of empowering girls to discover the opportunities
and excitement of a career in science is one reason why
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
(www.sigmaxi.org) supports
and sponsors Sally Ride Science (www.sallyridescience.com).
Founded by America’s first woman in space, Sally
Ride Science targets girls in grades 5 through 8, to convince
them (and their parents and teachers) that science is
not only a worthwhile career option but also fun and cool!
 |
| Joint finalists
at 2005's East Coast Nationals, who went on as one
of the four team to attend the Finals, held at Hasbro
in RI. |
But why should Dr.
Ride, a Sigma Xi member since 1978, have to beat such
a drum? The statistics speak
for themselves. Women make up only a quarter of the science,
engineering, and technology workforce (including social
scientists). Of the ten fastest-growing
occupations, eight are in science, math, or technology.
And by 2010, jobs in science
and engineering are expected to increase by 2.2 million.
That means a lot of opportunities for today’s young
women!
Sigma Xi was founded
in 1886 to honor excellence in scientific investigation
and encourage a sense of companionship and cooperation
among researchers in all fields of science and engineering.
We were the first such organization to elect women
into the fold, in 1888—another reason why Sigma
Xi is such a strong supporter of Sally Ride Science’s
programs.
 |
The
team were joint finalists at 2005's East Coast Nationals,
and went on to win at the Finals, held at Hasbro
in RI - one of four teams invited to the Finals.
They're standing with Kathy Sullivan, guest speaker
for the day, and America's first woman to do a space
walk. |
Today,
we’re an international, multidisciplinary society
based in RTP whose programs and activities promote the
health of the research enterprise and honor scientific
achievement. We’ve nearly 65,000
Sigma Xi members in more than 100 countries around the
world, and our chapters, more than 500 in all, can be
found at colleges and universities, industrial research
centers, and government laboratories. The
Society supports original work across the spectrum of
science and technology and promotes an appreciation within
society at large for the role research has played in human
progress.
Sigma Xi’s
key support goes behind Sally Ride Science’s TOYchallenge,
a national toy design challenge for 5th to 8th graders
(www.toychallenge.com). TOYchallenge can change
children’s lives. Participation makes children feel
special and excited about what they can do with the things
they learn.
 |
| Chain
reaction -another team attending the East Coast Nationals. |
TOYchallenge is
motivated by the desire to redress a lack of gender and
ethnic diversity in science and engineering. As boys and
girls create a toy or game, they experience engineering
as a creative, collaborative process, benefiting from
a diversity of perspectives, and relevant to everyday
life. Children grow through
TOYchallenge in many ways: from developing a sense of
teamwork and building self-confidence to learning how
to manage a project and to becoming familiar with the
engineering design process.
One of TOYchallenge
2005’s coaches shares her enthusiasm: “As
a teacher, I love the way TOYchallenge encourages kids
to be creative while also exploring science. I
started with a group that would rather go to the mall
than delve into design, electronics and construction.
They probably still wouldn’t turn
down a trip to the mall, but now they are asking questions
about what they buy, like ‘how does that
work’ and ‘I wonder if I could build that?’
That, to me, is terrific!”
 |
House
of the Future - one of the teams attending the 2005
East Coast Nationals. |
On May 6, hundreds
of excited children will converge on the Sigma Xi Center,
where over 50 teams from all over North America will have
their prototype toys judged by an expert team. The
50 teams have been chosen from over 300 entries to compete
for this year’s grand prize, a week at Space Camp!
So come and join us for a day packed with fun and fascinating
events and activities. Treat your daughter (or son) to
cutting edge toy designs and see the future in action!
Kristen
Greenaway is the director of development for Sigma Xi. She is a Masters
graduate from Waikato University, NZ, and has an extensive background
in fundraising, having headed campaigns for Cambridge University, University
College London in both the UK and North America, and Erasmus University's
Rotterdam School of Management. Kristen has also managed national science
and engineering educational programs for Sally Ride's San Diego-based
company, Sally Ride Science, and was director of TOYchallenge. She can
be reached at 
