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On Saturday, March 15th, we hosted the Chemistry Workshop at the University Community Library! The workshop kicked off with an introduction to chemistry and fundamental concepts, including atoms and molecules, bonding, and the states of matter. In recognition of the contributions made by women in the field, this workshop spotlighted two women in STEM–Dorothy Hodgkin and Angie Turner King.
The participants then had the opportunity to engage in a hands-on activity through paper chromatography. This experiment, which involved separating ink into its individual components, helped to demonstrate real-world applications of chemistry, such as identifying substances in a mixture. One participant shared, “I liked this experiment because it taught me something while being fun and pretty at the same time.” Next, the girls learned about chemical reactions–how chemical bonds rearrange and interact to form new substances, as well as how to tell when a reaction is taking place. We conducted an experiment involving calcium chloride and baking soda, which resulted in a visible color change and the formation of bubbles. One of the most exciting parts of the workshop was incorporating the acid-base indicator. We used cabbage juice as a pH indicator, allowing participants to observe how the juice changes color depending on the acidity or alkalinity of the substance being tested. A participant commented, “It was cool how the same cabbage juice was different colors depending on the pH.” Thank you to everyone who came, and we look forward to hosting another workshop next month!
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On Saturday, February 1st, All Girls STEM Society hosted our Anatomy Workshop at the Allied Gardens Library. The girls learned about the 11 different body systems including the digestive, circulatory, respiratory, lymphatic integumentary, endocrine, urinary, and musculoskeletal systems. After learning about an incredible woman in STEM, they got to do three different activities to explore the respirator, circulatory, and musculoskeletal system further.
Our woman in STEM this workshop was the amazing Anna Morandi Manzolini (1714-1774), who was internationally known for the production of anatomically correct wax models. We learned that some of these wax models are still preserved today, and got to see a few photos of her work! Next, the students did an activity focused on the respiratory system, where they modeled the lungs, diaphragm, and trachea with balloons, straws, and a bottle. This helped them learn about how the parts of the respiratory system work together to help us breathe, and visualize lungs expanding upon an inhale. After listening to some lecture about the cardiovascular (circulatory system) the girls learned how to take their own pulse at their neck or wrist! They also learned that the heart is an involuntary muscle, and that cardiac muscle is not included in the musculoskeletal system. However, our hands, arms, legs, and anything that we voluntarily move is part of our musculoskeletal system! This system also includes tendons, and ligaments. To gain an understanding of how this system works, the students used a paper hand, string, and straws to create a hand that is able to move like a real hand when a few strings are pulled. The Anatomy Workshop was super fun, educational, and inspiring! We hope to see you at our Chemistry Workshop on March 15th!
On Saturday, January 11th, we hosted our first workshop of 2025: the Computer Vision Workshop at Logan Heights Library! The participants began by discovering how computer are able to see, the origins of computer vision, and the presence and applications of computer vision in everyday life.
Next, they learned about Dr. Fei-Fei Li, a computer scientist, writer, professor, and woman in STEM, as well as her contributions to advancing computer vision through her dataset. Also, participants worked on edge detection through coloring number grids and evaluating numerical differences between neighboring pixel values. Then, participants investigated the similarities and differences between human and computer vision and thinking. The girls were introduced to machine learning and its components: decision-making, self-adjustments, and teamwork. To practice one method of computer learning, they explored convolution layers by multiplying inputs and kernels to create feature maps. The participants further investigated the topic as they played Rock, Paper, Scissors by training computers to identify their hands in the form of rock, paper, and scissors. Through this experiment, they noticed the machine’s calculations and accuracy. The participants also learned of the challenges and benefits of computer vision today, and in the near future. Lastly, the girls tested out a finished machine-learning, drawing project. The Computer Vision Workshop was informative and super fun! We can’t wait to see you at our Anatomy Workshop on February 1st!
On December 14th, we held our annual Holiday STEM Party at the College-Rolando Library. Attendees explored their engineering, logic, and creativity through a variety of holiday-themed STEM activities.
The event kicked off with participants making paper snowflakes, learning concepts of aerodynamics and physics to design snowflakes that could stay in the air the longest. The next station then entailed making fake snow, which all of the girls got to take home! One participant remarked that the snow was “super fun”, and that she was “excited to show her parents!” Afterwards, the girls moved onto the “present drop” station, which, like an egg drop, entailed building structures out of popsicle sticks, paper, and tape to product their squishy toys. The participants come up with innovative ways to protect their cargo, with one designing a “burrito-shaped vessel” and another participant making a “drumstick-shaped spaceship”. Following a short snack break, participants then moved onto the M&M probability station, which many girls noted was their favorite activity! Finally, our last station was a logic activity, where the participants got to test their minds and a bunch of logic puzzles. Throughout the workshop, participants sang and danced along to holiday karaoke, as everyone got into the holiday spirit! Wishing everyone a Happy Holidays!
On Saturday, November 23rd, we hosted our Circuitry Workshop at the Mission Valley Library! Participants started by learning about electricity and lightning, the history of batteries, and circuits. Then, to apply their knowledge of circuits, they engaged in an activity, which was creating light-up nametags. The girls really enjoyed the problem-solving process and the celebrations when their circuits worked. After this activity, one participant expressed, “Originally, I wasn’t sure about coming to this workshop, but now, I feel interested in science.” After the snack break, the fun continued with everyone at the workshop holding hands in a circle to create a human circuit and illustrate the flow of electricity! This was followed by trivia and charades, which reinforced key concepts in an engaging way. In the final segment of this workshop, we welcomed Congresswoman Sara Jacobs, the youngest Member of Congress from California. She shared her journey and experiences, the importance of education and advocacy, and the power of the next generation to make an impact on the community. The Q&A session was lively, with many attendees asking thoughtful questions and feeling empowered by her story and insights. The Circuitry Workshop was fun and inspiring, involving both hands-on activities and real-world inspiration. We hope you will join us for the Holiday STEM Party next month!
On Saturday, October 12, we hosted our Mathematics of Games Workshop at City Heights/Weingart Branch Library! To introduce the participants to probability and game theory, we played a game where the girls attempted to guess a number from 1-100 that would be two-thirds of the average number the group guessed.
Then, we learned about Florence Nightingale, a woman in STEM who specialized in probability and discovered life-saving mathematical conclusions during World War One. After this game, they found the mathematical method of calculating probability and explored its use in everyday life, like forecast weather, coin flips, and card games. Diving deeper, we explored independent, dependent, and mutually exclusive events, as well as diagrams that aid in determining probability. The girls analyzed chances in rolling multiple dice, and created their own dice games! The objective of their games was to gain more points than their partner. The girls chose one method to implement in their own game, in order for their player to have a lower chance of winning then them. As each player formulated their games, they tested and evaluated each method mathematically to strategically win! Next, the girls discussed in groups more complex probability questions about coin flips. Finally, they investigated game theory and used what they learned in the workshop to create a probability game! This workshop was informative, fun, and allowed the participants to be creative! Be sure look for our Circuitry Workshop, on November 23, from 2:00-4:30 pm at Mission Valley Library.
On Saturday, September 21, we hosted our first workshop of the year: Ocean Sciences at the Pacific Beach / Taylor Library led by Sofia Hayden. We started off the workshop by introducing participants to the physics behind the ocean, delving into the origin of tides and the flow of ocean currents. Using food coloring and water at different temperatures, participants got to demonstrate how density affects current flow. Then, participants learned about the biology of the ocean, from phytoplankton to deep sea creatures to coral reefs. One participant remarked that “if we didn’t have plankton, everything would die,” illustrating the interconnectedness of ocean ecosystems.
The girls then learned about the challenges facing ocean conservation today, most notably ocean acidification. Participants observed and analyzed the process of ocean acidification using vinegar, baking soda and pH indicator solution, and as one participant stated, she saw how the indicator solution “went from basic to more acidic,” which another participant thought was “pretty cool.” Finally, it came time for our participants to apply their knowledge and come up with their own solutions to protect the ocean! Each group created their own marine conservation plan and presented it to a panel of “judges” (our volunteers). Everyone came up with super innovative solutions! One group decided to address light pollution, as “sea turtles use light to find their way back to the ocean, so when there’s too much light the sea turtles get lost.” Another group came up with a robotic contraption called “Jimmy the Octopus” that would use nitrogen to eliminate Crown-of-Thorns, a major predator of coral. Overall, it was another fun and educational AGSS workshop. We look forward to an awesome year, and we highly encourage you to sign-up for our upcoming Mathematics of Games workshop on October 12!
On June 14th and 15th, we hosted our annual NASA Astro Camps® in collaboration with NASA and The Clueless #11212, a local FTC robotics team. At these camps, we had two special guest speakers: Ms. Michelle Beiser, Deputy Program Manager for NASA’s Rocket Propulsion Test Program, who talked about her role in designing and testing rockets for the Artemis missions, and Dr. Prabha Sumdaravadivel, Director of NASA’s Computer Engineering Research Laboratory, who described her research in artificial intelligence, on-device learning, and bio-inspired soft robotics, along with her development of cyber-physical systems. In addition to learning about NASA’s most recent projects and programs, participants created mission patches, categorized rocks like NASA scientists, and built their own mini-satellite. They also constructed their own aerodynamic rocket cars and built a functioning robotic arm out of cardboard! We hope to see you at our upcoming workshop in September!
On Saturday, May 18th, we hosted the famous All Girls Math Tournament at Logan Heights Library! During this annual AGSS tradition, the girls participated in a math competition, doing all sorts of problems individually and as groups, divided into 3-4, 5-6, and 7-8 age groups, all with different problem sets.
The girls started the competition by doing a Sprint Round, which was focused on simpler concepts that they could do in quick periods of time. Then, they moved onto a Target Round, with harder problems. After two successful rounds, they took a break for yummy cookies, bananas and water. They ended the competition with a Group Round, where they separated by grade levels and worked together to complete problems. The workshop ended with a celebratory award ceremony for all the different rounds, with lots of amazing prizes—from a stuffed pi symbol, to a jewelry store gift card, to math-themed shirts. Overall, it was an extremely successful All Girls Math Tournament, and all the girls were able to display their amazing problem-solving abilities. Be sure to look out for our next workshop on astrophysics, which will be on June 1st at Mission Valley Library.
On April 16, 2024, AGSS volunteered at Marie Curie Elementary’s science night, where students at Marie Curie from grades TK to 2 participated in STEM-based stations with interactive hands-on activities. At the music vegetables station, our volunteers taught participants about electricity, conductivity and circuits with Makey-Makeys and Scratch programming, along with some carrots and celery. At the magic milk station, our volunteers taught participants about the polarity of molecules with food coloring and milk solutions. At the invisible messages station, our volunteers taught participants about acid-base chemistry by revealing secret messages with baking soda and grape juice.
Our participants had a lot of fun learning about science through these activities, and we were happy to help with Marie Curie’s event! |
All Girls STEM Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.