The City School District of Albany's summer STEMinista program aims to spark and maintain girls' interest in STEM from a young age through activities, workshops and positive role models.
The two, week-long sessions - which ran Aug. 4-8 and Aug. 11-15 - guided middle-school girls through hands-on labs, a field trip to the Radix Center plus the science/technology/engineering/math- loving students also
They completed a ‘Pipette-the-Rainbow’ lab which required precise liquid measurements plus introduction to scientific tools. They also removed the chocolate from chocolate milk using a centrifuge and learned about gel electrophoresis, which is a lab technique used to separate DNA, RNA and protein molecules based on their size and electrical charges. Other projects included the construction of
Thank you to science teachers Beth Cino, Allison Sheehan, Dionna Taccetta and Marissa Pompeii - as well as the district's Secondary Instructional Supervisor for Science and Technology Amanda Powers - for making summer learning fun but also, and more importantly, working to create a supportive and inclusive environment for girls and women in STEM, challenging gender stereotypes and fostering confidence.