After School Spring 2018: Week 6

This week, girls explored the impact of oil spills on marine ecosystems. After studying and discussing pictures of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the young environmental scientists followed a step-by-step process to clean a feather covered in oil. Later, they analyzed different methods of separating and cleaning oil from water.

Our Favorite Books for a STEM-filled Spring Break

As February comes to a close, it’s time to start thinking about maximizing your spring break with STEM reading! Here are a few recommendations from the Girlstart team:

1. Girls Think of Everything: Stories of Ingenious Inventions by Women
Author: Catherine Thimmesh

2. Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant
Author: Songju Ma Daemicke

3. Hidden Figures Young Readers’ Edition
Author: Margot Lee Shetterly

4. Secret Coders
Authors: Gene Luen Yang & Mike Holmes

5. Ada’s Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World’s First Computer Programmer
Author: Fiona Robinson

All photos courtesy of amazon.com

Sponsor Spotlight: MyITpros

MyITpros is an Austin-based information technology (IT) company that has been serving central Texas for 25 years! They offer a comprehensive suite of managed services- including cloud services and cycbersecurity options. You can visit their site for free resources around all things IT, or reach out for a free network assessment. In honor of their 25th anniversary, MyITpros is requesting donations on behalf of Girlstart with a total goal of $12,500. You can donate today at https://www.myitpros.com/girlstart.

Donations will go toward Girlstart summer camps, after-school programs, and other initiatives to make STEM education engaging and accessible!

(Photos courtesy of My IT Pros)

Hands-On Wednesday: Rising Water

Check out this cool experiment that is performed with just a candle and some matches. Light up your candle and watch the water slowly rise. Isn’t that cool?! This happens because the flame from the candle slightly expands the container. Once it cools, a vacuum is created and the water rises. Try this out and impress your family and friends!