“Living in the earth-deposits of our history...” begins poet Adrienne Rich’s homage to scientist and two-time Nobel Prize recipient for her work in radioactivity (one in Physics, one in Chemistry, and the first woman to ever receive a Nobel), Marie Curie. The poem, titled “Power,” honors the sacrifices Curie made, especially as a female researcher in early 20th century, as she advanced science and technology for our benefit today.
On Wednesday, May 29, from 5:30 to 7:30pm in the McCune Conference Center (HSSB 6020) at UC Santa Barbara, 25 fourth through sixth graders and 12 Teen Leads from Girls, Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara will pay their own tribute to Curie, as well as to all women in the STEM fields, and particularly those working at UC Santa Barbara. The event, titled “STEMinists in the Wild: Exploring Life on a Changing Planet” celebrates the hard work of young scholars who have spent this past school year researching, interviewing, and writing about scientists at UCSB, all the while compiling a book to be launched at the event, too. There will be pizza and ice cream to accompany the showcase, as well as a live review for the Frontiers Journal.
The Curie-osity Project – in its third year – is a collaboration between Girls Inc. and the McEnroe Reading and Language Arts Clinic at the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education. In 2018, Girls Inc. girls wrote and published the book “STEMinists: The Lifework of 12 Women Scientists and Engineers,” as a culmination of their exploration into the work and lives of UC Santa Barbara’s female scientists across various disciplines.
Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, through direct service (out-of-school learning) and advocacy. STEM education is integral to Girls Inc.’s research-based curriculum, with particular awareness to the underrepresentation of women in STEM career fields. Their handle across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram is @girlsincsb, and mission is as follows:
More details on the event can be found here.