ND ROCKS Start up fundraiser

Lindsey has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of North Dakota and a Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences from Midwestern University, Glendale. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences at North Dakota State University. Lindsey’s education and participation in a number of organizations have taught her to work hard, problem solve, and collaborate with others while providing leadership and organization.

Alison Rohly is a graduate student at North Dakota State University pursuing a doctorate degree in Coatings and Polymeric Materials. She graduated from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minnesota in February 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. While at Bethel, she actively participated in a variety of equal rights groups on campus and also worked at 3M during that time. Her passion for female empowerment is coupled with her passion for science through the CGI U Commitment.

Recently, Lindsey and Alison were accepted to the Clinton Global Initiative University with the generous funding of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) for their commitment to action with addressing young women involvement and interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics).
Historically, there has been a significant underrepresentation of women in the fields of STEM. Lindsey and Alison commit to address this issue within rural North Dakota by creating the program ND ROCKS (North Dakota Rural Outreach providing Chicks Knowledge of Science), aimed at engaging 7th-9th grade girls in STEM through a variety of fun demonstrations and real-world scientific applications via the instruction of scientific female graduate students. Participation in this all-female program will instill not only scientific curiosity, but also equal opportunity and confidence for girls who desire to enter the playing field of the scientific community.
The gender imbalance within the scientific community is a rising challenge on both a national and a global level. Traditional societal gender roles often limit the desire of girls to engage with scientific learning and problem solving. While growing up, girls tend to have a pressure and/or desire to play with typical girl toys that focus more on being a nurturing caregiver than trying to solve problems or build things. The lack of exposure to STEM while girls are young leaves them at a disadvantage to boys, lacking confidence in areas of STEM, and missing an opportunity to develop an interest in STEM. The expectation for girls to become nurturing caregivers often compromises the pursuit of scientific intrigue, especially within rural communitiesthroughout the United States. It is therefore essential to promote early engagement for girls in science living within rural communities, pre-supposing any societal expectation by creating a safe and comfortable environment for girls to explore and divulge in science. A predominantly conservative rural North Dakota provides ample opportunity for ND ROCKS to become an effective program.

An essential component of Lindsey and Alison’s Commitment to Action involves the development of close relationships with rural North Dakota school districts, as a means to supplement current courses such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Engineering, and Mathematics. With the support of rural ND schools, the implementation of ND ROCKS would occur on one Saturday a month throughout the summer, reaching different districts each month. Participation of STEM would be free and open to girls in 7th-9th grades. Scientific female graduate students would volunteer their day to teach the students about exciting scientific topics, followed by real-world scientific applications and hands-on demonstrations to enhance engagement and interest in scientific fields. These female graduate students are capable of offering expertise in a variety of scientific disciplines, and may serve as a mentor and role model to girls interested in becoming future scientists. After this initial summer, there is opportunity to expand ND ROCKS into a multiple day camp or monthly sessions during the school year. Beyond increasing the frequency of sessions, range of reach may also be expanded with enough support. Collaborating with other programs interested in laying the foundations of STEM within youth could also be pursued to widen the exposure ND ROCKS participants have. Lindsey and Alison feel that this goal is ambitious yet realistic and holds the potential for growth and development of youngfemale scientists.

ND ROCKS would like to be able to survey the girls that participate and calculate how many actually did pursue education and careers in STEM, but this would require many years and a lot of effort for all involved. Thus, it has been determined that a more instantaneous way to measure the success of ND ROCKS is necessary. The measurement of success will be based on a test that will be given at the start of the program and again at the end of the program to see if the participants learned and retained information and concepts discussed. There will also be a survey given at the end so the participants can evaluate the program and give feedback on their experience and areas in which ND ROCKS can improve.

Lindsey and Alison had a wonderful, life changing experience at the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U). While attending CGI U, they were able to network and engage with a variety of panel discussions on current global issues including STEM and the gender gap embedded within the scientific community. After the opening plenary session, Lindsey and Alison, along with the other AAUW cohort members, were given the opportunity to go backstage and have a picture taken with the Clinton family. The skills sessions they attended include how to build your team and how to raise funds for one’s commitment. Lindsey and Alison were able to take away a plethora of knowledge that is sure to help carry out theircommitment to action, ND ROCKS.