KCSOS launches new program to get girls interested in STEM at a young age

Jun. 21—Hands shot up when a group of fourth and fifth grade girls gathered around the CALM amphitheater on Monday morning were asked whether they liked science and math.

"Now who thinks they're really good at science?" asked Michelle Roy, the science coordinator for the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.

She paused, waiting for any hands to go up.

"That's why we're here, because you all don't know it, but you're all good at science. And you're also good at math," Roy told the students. "We're here to bring that out."

Monday morning represented the beginning of a new year-long program called Girls Excelling in Math and Science, or GEMS. Girls from Fairfax and Edison elementary school districts will be the first ones to join the program. A week of programming at CALM is just the beginning. During the school year, it will continue as an after-school program.

The road to a career in science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) is full of critical points where girls and then women drop off, leaving these fields heavily male-dominated. Roy said research points to a big cliff in middle school. One goal of the GEMS program is to reach out to fourth and fifth grade girls before their interest wanes.

"The idea is to catch them while they're young," Roy said.

It was only the beginning of the week, but Yesenia Villalba said her daughter was already wild about the program when she pulled up to CALM. She had no idea it would be held at a zoo.

"She was super excited," Villalba said. "She is a science and math fanatic."

Villalba said she was happy to sign up for anything that might open possibilities for her daughter.

Families will be a big part of the program, Roy said. This week, fathers will be invited to join their daughters at CALM to help them see their daughter in a scientist role.

This week CALM will be the girls' laboratory. The girls will learn about the engineering process by designing a prosthetic chicken leg on a 3D printer. They will also conduct observations of the facility's mountain lions and dissect owl pellets.

It will also be a place to gather and learn about what a scientist can look like. Each of their groups are named after notable women in science, such as Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina woman in space, or Adriana Ocampo, a geologist known for her pioneering work on the impact crater that wiped out dinosaurs.

Every day this week at CALM the girls will get to meet women who work in a STEM field: a biomedical engineer, architect, wildlife biologist, and a woman who works in the oil industry.

The GEMS project isn't just trying to tackle the lack of representation of women but the lack of Latinas in STEM fields, Roy said. So not only will these professionals be women but also Latinas. Many came from families where no one had attended college — mirroring the experience of girls in the program.

KCSOS noticed in particular that the lack of representation for Latinas in STEM fields is particularly low: less than 2 percent, according to the National Science Foundation.

Because Kern County's student population is so heavily Latina, it seemed like KCSOS was in a position to do something about these dire numbers. The Women and Girls Fund of Kern County donated $25,000 to this GEMS pilot program. Roy said she hopes with community support, it can expand in the future.

Latinas majoring in STEM fields from Cal State Bakersfield, Bakersfield College, UC Davis and Loyola Marymount jumped at the chance to mentor young girls and run the first week of programming.

"I have a huge passion for inspiring little girls for going into a STEM field. Going into computer engineering, it's a very heavily male-dominated field," said Stephanie Magaña, a student at CSUB. "Growing up, I didn't even have someone to show me that being in a STEM field was an option."

Magaña said sometimes she's the only woman in a class, which can be intimidating. She was glad to connect with another computer engineer major through this program. Roy said that's not a coincidence — she's hoping that the women in the program unite to support one another, as well as the girls.

KCSOS reached out to districts close to CALM that have students who might not be exposed to STEM opportunities; Edison Elementary and Fairfax jumped at the opportunity. About 50 girls are signed up.

"We are so thankful for this hands-on opportunity after a year and a half of hybrid learning," Edison Elementary Superintendent Erica Andrews wrote in an email.

Abigail Fierro said she was happy for the chance to be outside, having fun and interacting with other students, and CALM was the perfect place.

"I love science," she said. "I just love learning about animals and nature."