ND ROCKS (North Dakota Rural Outreach giving Chicks Knowledge of Science) is going to travel around ND giving 7-9th grade girls the opportunity to boost their interest in STEM. Buying a shirt will make you look good and feel good knowing you're helping ND girls.
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.
Supporters
This is awesome, Lindsay! As the mom of two girls, I am well aware of the need for the to get into the STEM subjects! Please take the fun of science into the schools! My girls love hands on science!! So proud of you..Good luck!!
I believe this is an important opportunity to encourage young women to take interest in sciences.
Proud to support these two ladies and their work which is much needed in their community!
Because these two women rock!