2020 Girls & Science Event & Audience Interaction Guide for Stories with Scientists Mentors - March 7, 2020
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2020 Girls & Science
Event & Audience Interaction Guide
for Stories with Scientists Mentors
March 7, 2020
Table of Contents
Girls & Science Event Overview…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Girls & Science Frequently Asked Questions……………………………………………………………………………………….7
Career Mentor Description………………………..…………………………………..…………………………………………………..8
Event Format………………….………………………………...…………………..............................................................9
Stories with Scientists Overview……………………………………………………………………………………………………….10
Stories with Scientists Presentation Development Tips……………………………………………………………………..11
Stories with Scientists Logistics…………………………………………………………………………………………………………12
Stories with Scientists Mentor Meet-Up……………………………………………………………………………………………13
Stories with Scientists Team Member Recruiting………………………………………………………………………………14
Stories with Scientists Mentor Meet-Up Supports Provided by DMNS………………………………………………15
Working with Guests (Girls & Caregivers)………………..………………………………………………………………………..16
Event Logistics…………………………………………………………………………….…………………………………………………….23
2Girls & Science Event Overview
Girls & Science is an annual educational event hosted by the Denver Museum of Nature and Science,
and CBS4. The event inspires girls (targeting 3rd-8th grade) to discover an interest in STEAM (science,
technology, engineering, art, and math) careers. The event uses an innovative career fair model where
girls meet women working in STEAM careers. The women STEAM Career Mentors interact with the girls
and their families to provide hands-on experiences that illustrate “a day in the life” of their jobs. Girls
also learn about Career Mentors’ backgrounds, interests, education, and career paths, and participate in
activities directly related to the Mentors’ jobs.
In the initial 5 years of the event, attendance has ranged from 7,000-12,000 people. The sixth Girls &
Science event will be at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science on Saturday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m.
Goals of Event
The goals of the Girls and Science are to:
Connect guests, particularly girls between ages 8 and 13 years, to women in STEAM-related careers
Break stereotypes about who works in STEAM careers
Provide girls with opportunities for success in STEAM-based explorations in order to build their
academic confidence and interest in STEAM careers
Why Girls & Science?
The event is enjoyed by all Museum guests, but the focus on girls is important, as girls can imagine a STEAM
career for themselves when they meet women who are successful examples. Research has shown that girls
are just as interested (and capable!) in STEAM disciplines as boys. In middle school, girls’ interest levels in
STEAM disciplines and confidence in their abilities decline. Research has not yet identified empirically the
cause of these declines but it is likely a combination of many factors, including significant gender biases –
both conscious and unconscious, that lead parents, other students, and even teachers to inaccurately
suggest, directly or indirectly, to girls that they’re naturally not as good as boys in these fields.
While the event targets girls in or soon to enter middle school, it is inclusive of men and boys. This event
primarily aspires to positively impact and influence girls, yet it also serves to highlight successful women
in STEAM careers to ALL visitors; provide caregivers information on supporting their daughters’ STEAM
interests; and demonstrate to boys that girls and women CAN and DO have success in STEAM
disciplines.
3Recent Research and Statistics about Women and Girls and STEAM
In January of 2018, Catalyst (a global non-profit aimed at “creating workplaces that work for
women”) posted on their website:
Global trends:
An average of regional statistics shows that globally only 28% of people employed in
scientific development and research positions are women.
Women are less likely to enter a STEM career than men – and they are more likely to
leave a STEM career (53% of women versus 31% of men)
U.S trends:
Only 24% of people employed in STEM occupations in 2015 were women.
Women in high-paying STEM jobs still only made 79.2% of men’s annual median
earnings in 2016.
Catalyst, Quick Take: Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) (January 3, 2018).
The National Center for Education Statistics compiled the following data:
Percentage of Degrees Earned by Women in Postsecondary Institutions (2014-2015)
Bachelor’s Master’s Doctorate
All STEM fields 35.1% 32.7% 22.5%
Biological and biomedical sciences 59.0% 57.3% 53.3%
Computer/information sciences & support 18.0% 30.4% 22.5%
Engineering and engineering technologies 18.7% 25.2% 23.5%
Mathematics and statistics 43.0% 40.6% 27.9%
Physical sciences and science technologies 38.5% 37.5% 34.3%
National Center for Education Statistics. “Table 318.30: Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctor’s Degrees Conferred by
Postsecondary Institutions, By Sex of Student and Discipline Division: 2014-15.” Digest of Education Statistics: 2016
Tables and Figures (2017).
The Denver Post published an article reporting on the findings of a study by The Women’s
Foundation of Colorado:
“Aimed at helping women find better employment opportunities, The Women’s Foundation of
Colorado tackled a big one: high-demand STEM careers, which pay an average of $86,000 a year
or nearly double the average for all jobs.
With 2.5 entry-level STEM jobs for each new four-year graduate, there is plenty of opportunity.
But it’s not always the same for men and women, who make up less than one-third of STEM
workers in Colorado but 46 percent of the state’s workforce, according to the foundation’s
report, “Gender Equity in Colorado’s STEM Industries,” released Wednesday.”
4Chuang, Tamara. Women Make Up Less than One-Third of STEM Workers in Colorado, says report. The Denver Post,
November 16, 2016.
In 2013, the number of high school girls who took the AP Computer Science exam was only 19%.
It rose to 20% in 2014.
Yettick, Holly. “More Students – But Few Girls, Minorities – Took AP Computer Science Exams.” Education Week,
December 19, 2014
Microsoft’s 2016 global workplace report shows 26% of its employees are female, a decline from
29% in 2014. Less than 18% of its engineers are women.
Lowensohn, Josh. “Microsoft says 29 percent of its employees are female.” The Verge, October 3, 2014.
Zillman, Claire. “After Losing Women, Microsoft Ties Executive Bonuses to Boosting Diversity.” Fortune, November 18,
2016.
Forbes reported the following:
o female scientists are less likely than their male counterparts to receive excellent letters
of recommendation
o women are less likely to attain the prestigious first author position on medical studies
published in top research journals
o male astronomers are more likely than female astronomers to be awarded valuable
telescope time
o a revealing large scale study of doctors in academia found that controlling for faculty
rank, age, years since residency, specialty, National Institutes of Health funding, clinical-
trial participation and publication count, the men still outearned (sic) women by
$19,878.
Elsesser, Kim. “10 Reasons 2016 Was A Bummer Year For Women.” Forbes, December 14, 2016.
The National Girls Collaboration Project maintains statistics on its website for K-12and higher
education. Current data includes:
o Female students' achievement in mathematics and science is on par with their male
peers and female students participate in high-level mathematics and science courses at
similar rates as their male peers, with the exception of computer science and
engineering (NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators, 2016).
o The rates of science and engineering course taking for girls/women shift at the
undergraduate level and gender disparities begin to emerge, especially for minority
women (NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators, 2016).
5o Women remain underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce, although
to a lesser degree than in the past, with the greatest disparities occurring in engineering,
computer science, and the physical sciences (NSF, Science & Engineering Indicators,
2016).
o Women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 29% of the
science and engineering workforce.
o Female scientists and engineers are concentrated in different occupations than are men,
with relatively high shares of women in the social sciences (62%) and biological,
agricultural, and environmental life sciences (48%), and relatively low shares in
engineering (15%), computer, and mathematical sciences (25%).
www.mgcporject.org/statistics
6Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What does STEAM stand for?
A: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math
Q: What is the Girls & Science event?
A: Girls & Science is an educational event hosted by the Museum and CBS4. The event inspires girls
(targeting 3rd-8th grade) to discover an interest in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and
math) careers. The event uses an innovative career fair model where girls meet women working in
STEAM careers through two features: Clubhouses and Stories with Scientists. Women Career Mentors
interact with the girls and their families to share inspiration, career paths, and education along with
hands-on experiences that illustrate “a day in the life” of their jobs.
Q: What is the date for the 2020 Girls & Science event?
A: March 7, 2020, 9am-5pm
Q: How many Clubhouses will be at the 2020 Girls & Science event?
A: There will be 8 Clubhouse-based Career Mentors, representing 8 different careers in STEAM
industries.
Q: How many Stories with Scientists will be at the 2020 Girls & Science event?
A: We plan for 6 companies represented at the event.
Q: Where are the Clubhouses located in the Museum?
A: The Clubhouses are located throughout the first floor of the Museum.
Q: Where is the Stories with Scientists held? And where is the Mentor Meet-UP?
A: Stories with Scientists takes place in the Science Atrium, and the Mentor Meet-Up is in the studio
classrooms immediately adjacent to the Atrium.
Q: How many people will be attending the 2020 Girls & Science event?
A: Attendance in past years has been between 7,000-12,000 people.
If you have additional questions, please reach out to Museum staff.
7Career Mentor Description
Mentors are women currently employed in STEAM careers. DMNS and CBS4 hope that Mentors are
creative and passionate for STEAM, education, and encouraging girls to consider STEAM career paths.
Mentors should be able to engage easily in conversation with a variety of people, and demonstrate high
comfort levels in interacting with children; and has the potential to convert her daily career activities
into activities for children.
Women who followed interesting, unexpected, or non-traditional career paths make fantastic Career
Mentors, as they can make connections with girls who are unsure of what they may want to do in their
futures. For these girls, it is reassuring to hear about other people who didn’t “just know” what they
want to do for a career in their own youth.
All mentors are asked to create personal connections with the girls. Personal connections are more
meaningful to the girls, as well as more memorable. If a girl feels a connection with a mentor, she will
better see herself in a similar career in the future.
Additionally, Career Mentors are asked to represent themselves from a “whole-person” perspective as a
way to help break stereotypes about “who does science” and what pursuing a science career means for
women. Stories about the Mentor’s background, interests and hobbies, and images of family, pets, and
travel are all encouraged.
8Event Format
The Girls and Science event features several elements.
Clubhouses:
Clubhouse level Career Mentor will have an immersive space outlined by pipe and drape to present “day
in her life.” Families enter into the “clubhouse” to experience hands-on activities specially developed to
emulate tasks or functions the Career Mentor does in her job so girls can try it on, test it out, and play.
The clubhouse can also feature tools and objects related to the Career Mentor’s trade; mementos
showing what inspired her to get to where she is today; and items related to her personal life to
illustrate her as a “whole person.”
Stories with Scientists:
At Stories with Scientists, girls hear “mini-spoken-autobiographies” from women who work at the
Stories sponsor companies. These spoken autobiographies, Career Mentors’ share stories about their
backgrounds, interests, education, and career paths. A “Mentor Meet-Up” room allows event
participants to join a Career Mentor at a table for personal interaction both before and after her
presentation.
SCFD Partners:
Several SCFD scientific and cultural organizations host activity booths as Girls and Science, featuring
different women who work within the organizations, each year. Past SCFD partner organizations include
Denver Zoo, Butterfly Pavilion, Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Art
Museum, and Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Resource Organizations:
Up to six local not-for-profit organizations that provide on-going, direct services to girls within the
targeted age range are available during the event. These organizations support the academic, social-
emotional, and healthy physiological development of girls through their programs. Past Resource
Organizations include Girls Scouts of America, Girls, Inc., Girls on the Run, Curls on the Block, and Future
City,
9Stories with Scientists Overview
In 2018, based on attendee feedback, DMNS and CBS4 piloted a new feature at Girls and Science: Stories
with Scientists, designed to provide attendees, particularly older girls, with more information regarding
the Career Mentor’s career path than is feasible in the Clubhouse format. During Stories with Scientists,
the women Career Mentors have a platform to share details about their educational paths and career
development while allowing event participants to ask questions. After a successful pilot year, the
feature was expanded in 2019, and included opportunities for companies to sponsor the feature and
have 1 or 2 women speak at the event.
During Stories with Scientists, women from the six sponsoring companies have 10-15 minutes on a stage
to share their personal “science path story” with an audience. An additional Q & A session, up to 15
minutes in length, immediately follows the presentation.
Additionally, each sponsor company will have to a table in the “Mentor Meet-Up” room that will provide
girls an opportunity for more in-depth connections and conversations with the Career Mentor(s) from
that company. The table must have the Career Mentor or a staff member from the company present for
the duration of the event.
Exact schedules for each Career Mentor’s Story presentation will be determined individually.
10Stories with Scientists Presentation Development Tips
Each Career Mentor featured in Stories with Scientists is asked to prepare a 15-minute casual
presentation. The presentation should be viewed as a “mini-spoken autobiography” that
focuses on the woman’s “science path,” including the experiences in her life that lead her to a
career in STEAM. The 15-minute presentation will be followed by up to 15 minutes of Q&A with
the audience.
Each woman must present her story using Power Point, and it is encouraged that she included
images from her childhood, family, and educational years, in addition to work-related images, to
create a variety of “access points” for the girls. When girls can identify personal relevance and
connection to the Career Mentor and her work (“She liked snakes when she was a kid, just like
me!”), it is easier for that girl to imagine herself in that same career as an adult. (See Logistics
information on next page for technical information regarding the Power Point).
Career Mentors are encouraged to including their earliest “science” memories, as well as telling
about the people and experiences that positively influenced them in their youths.
Highlighting childhood experiences and interests that connect to the Career Mentor’s work now
is encouraged, when possible, during the presentation. It demonstrates how interests and
passions from childhood can positively shape a girl’s future educational and career endeavors. It
can also help validate girls’ current interests, for the girls themselves, as well as the adult
caregivers in their lives.
Career Mentors are welcome to wear work-related attire (scrubs, lab coat, safety vest, hardhat,
etc.) during their presentation and at the Mentor Meet-Up.
Humor and personality are encouraged! When Career Mentors tell funny stories, it resonates
well with girls. Career Mentors can use their presentations to answer questions such as, “what’s
your science superpower?” and, “what’s the weirdest thing you’ve done for science?” to bring in
humor and personality.
The presentation is a great opportunity to share stories about the special and/or unexpected
benefits that a woman’s STEAM career has brought her, such as traveling, handling special tools,
meeting amazing people, seeing incredible things, etc.
Girls pursuing STEAM careers need to develop resiliency. Each Career Mentor is asked to share a
story about an obstacle she has overcome in her science path to demonstrate that challenges
can be solved. Difficulties are a normal part of anyone’s science career path and girls should not
give up their dreams when they face difficulties.
Offer a challenge to the girls: if these girls pursue this particular STEAM career themselves,
what are the todays’ unknowns that these girls can figure out in the future?
11Stories with Scientists Logistics
Stories sponsor companies must submit the Online Logistics Form to DMNS by January 17, 2020.
The form can also be found at this link, http://bit.ly/StoriesLogistics. DMNS needs the total
number/names of staff/volunteers working at the event for each sponsor company, as well as
requests for electricity in the Mentor Meet-Up room.
Along with the Online Logistics Form, sponsor companies should also submit a photo of their
mentor along with a short bio (150 words or less) for use during presentation introductions. This
is also due January 17, 2020.
Stories sponsor companies may bring two freestanding company banners for the Girls and
Science event: one is placed in the Science Atrium with the presentation stage and the other can
go by the sponsor company’s table in the Mentor Meet-Up room.
Career Mentors are required to provide a Power Point for their presentation. A 16:9 aspect ratio
is required for slides.
All video must be embedded into the Power Point. Links to external websites will not work from
the all-presentation slide deck DMNS will create for the event. For support in embedding video,
follow these links:
o Link to FireFox Extension App that will allow you to download a YouTube Video
o How to Insert/Embed a Video File Once You Have It Downloaded
Career Mentors must submit their presentation Power Point by Friday, February 21, 2020. No
edits or changes can be made to the Power Points after this date, so that DMNS staff may build
the all presentation slide deck for the day.
Power Point submission will be through Drop Box. Instructions for submission will be on the
private event website.
12Stories with Scientists Mentor Meet-Up
Each Stories sponsor company will have to a table in the “Mentor Meet-Up” room, adjacent to the
Science Atrium where presentations are given. The purpose of the Mentor Meet-Up room is to provide
opportunities for girls to have one-on-one or small group conversations with the Career Mentor. Round
tables will be set-up in the room, one for each sponsor company.
The table must have the Career Mentor or a staff member from the company present for the duration of
the event. During the time(s) that the Career Mentor(s) are presenting or on breaks, other staff
members from the company may fill-in for her.
It is recommended that no more than 2 additional staff members from the sponsor company be present
in the Meet-Up room at any one time. Please also avoid having all of the staff members sit together at
the table at one time, as this can prevent some young girls from approaching the Career Mentor. Stay
aware of children in the room who seem hesitant to approach a table, and invite them to join.
While at the table, the Career Mentor or her substitute should focus on having conversations with
guests. Be aware that children will try to make initial connections with adults that seem “odd.” Research
has shown that common conversation entry questions from children include, “what’s your favorite
color?” and “what pizza do like.”
Career Mentors may bring 1 or 2 special items to share at the Meet-Up table. The item could be a
specimen, tool, journal, or photo album. The sponsor company may also bring handouts and giveaways
for the table: stickers, pencils, “swag,” etc.
13Stories with Scientists Mentor Meet-Up Team Member Recruiting
DMNS recommends 2-4 additional staff supporting the Stories sponsor company Career Mentor
total. They may work in shifts; an 8:30am – 1:00pm and a 12:00 – 5:30pm break has worked well
for other companies.
Support staff do not need to do the same job as the Career Mentor from the Stories sponsor
companies. It is helpful, however, if the support staff are able to describe the Career Mentor’s
job, and answer questions about the Career Mentor’s career path during those times that the
Career Mentor cannot be present at the Meet-Up table.
It is encouraged that Stories sponsor companies have a Career Mentor or support staff who is
able to converse with guests in Spanish. Other languages are welcome, too!
Men are welcome to be support staff! That sends a positive message to the girls that men are
interested in their success and support women in the sciences.
Support staff should be able to connect with event guests, at as a proxy for the Career Mentor
as needed, and their company well.
Ensure that all employees working at the event allow time for parking and shuttling. Alternative
options for transportation (Uber, bus, bike, etc.) are always encouraged, as the Museum’s
parking is limited.
14Stories with Scientists Mentor Meet-Up Room Supports Provided by DMNS
For the Mentor Meet-Up room, DMNS will provide:
One, 5-foot diameter round table with 8 chairs per table, for each Stories sponsor company
A black tablecloth
A sign with the company name, logo, and Career Mentor(s)’ names
A sign indicating when English/Spanish bilingual staff are available in the room for that company
Event giveaway buttons
Location for a vertical banner for each Stories sponsor company
Conversations starters (for Career Mentor and for girls)
Extension cord/power strip (optional - indicate on Online Logistics Form, if needed)
General Admission vouchers to all sponsor companies. If more staff beyond the Career Mentor
and their 2-4 support staff total want to attend the event, please give the General Admission
vouchers for those individual
15Characteristics of Informal Learning
1. No proscriptive program, curriculum, or process needs to be in place for informal learning to occur –
although they can be! Informal learning is often driven less by a content-acquisition outcome that by the
learner’s desire to continue to learn, which can imply that organization and learning goals are not at
play. It is a myth, however, that informal learning is never organized. In reality, it can be highly
organized; it’s just not institutional and accountability for learning is different than in formal learning.
2. Informal learning usually – but not always - arises from the activities and interests of the learner or
learning group. The facilitator follows the lead of the student(s) in informal learning, not the other way
around. However, this does not mean that informal learning is never needs-based. Actually, many things
we learn informally are needs: societal norms for behavior, toilet training, etc.
3. Informal learning is often spontaneous, as a learner expresses an interest in a topic or asks a question
and the facilitator responds with information based on his or her own experience at that moment,
regardless of location (think of a child posing questions to a parent). Informal learning is not always
spontaneous though. There is intentionality in enrolling for informal learning opportunities, such as
when a child attends a summer camp based on her interests or when an adult attends a workshop at an
art museum, which are both primarily informal learning environments.
4. The world is the classroom! Much emphasis has been placed on where learning occurs to distinguish
between formal and informal learning (i.e. formal occurs in a classroom and informal everywhere else).
In actuality, place does not matter – the distinction is about administration, structure, accountability,
and purpose. Spontaneous learning occurs in classrooms; formal learning can occur in a park.
5. Informal learning is difficult to quantify, and for that reason, there are people who dismiss its value
altogether, let alone in comparison to formal education. Informal learning is essential to early childhood
development (for example, native language acquisition in childhood is an informal process).
Additionally, informal learning occurs throughout life as we learn from our interactions with family,
friends, colleagues, and co-workers, and seek enrichment by engaging in activities in which we can
develop knowledge or capacity.
16Informal Learning in a Museum Setting
Museums are informal learning environments. One of the practices museums use to facilitate learning
with visitors is known as interpretation. Exhibit labels, brochures, audio-visual enhancements, and
interactive activities are all interpretive tools. The most effective interpretation tool, however, is a
person. Interpretation performed by a person is personal and responsive.
At Girls & Science, you are an interpreter creating connection between the visitor (the girl) and the
resource (in this case, your STEAM-based career). You can establish rapport with visitors; be flexible in
addressing their unique interests; provide different details depending on the visitor; and encourage a
sense of discovery and enthusiasm for your career within the visitor.
Goals of Interpretation:
Awaken Enthusiasm
Focus Attention
Create Personal Experience
Share Inspiration
Best Practices of Interpretation:
Talk with visitors, not at them. Have a conversation.
Provoke thought and stimulate questions. This is often accomplished by asking questions.
Encourage wonder and instill appreciation. Convey your own enthusiasm for what you do.
Make connections. Connect the objects you bring to experiences you have had. Place the story of
your career into context at local, national or even global levels as appropriate.
Answer guests’ questions with another question. Why do you think that? What might happen
if…?
Good Interpreters Demonstrate:
Sociability. Establish rapport with your visitors by learning why they chose to visit and asking
from where they came. Introduce yourself and share your enthusiasm. Ask questions and
visitors will feel more comfortable asking questions of you in return.
Flexibility. Match your narrative to the situation, circumstances and people around you. Ask
questions: what does the participant already know? What do they want to know? Be prepared to
adjust your narrative, language and even vocal tone for every interaction.
Knowledge. Have a depth of knowledge about your resource to share – but don’t share it ALL,
every time. Remember, focus on what the participant WANT to know not just on what you think
they NEED to know)
17Stages in Child Development
Different techniques are required to engage youth at different ages. Try these:
Preschooler (2-5 years):
Focus on senses! Sight, smell, sound, touch. Describe your experiences with an emphasis on
sensory descriptions.
Elementary (5-9 years):
These children will be either eager or tentative in creating a bond with you through
conversation. They may seek to create bonds through similarities between the two of you
unrelated to your career. Give them time to warm up!
Pre-adolescent (9-12 years):
These children are most interested in things. Show them the tools of your work. They will be
curious about the fine motor skills needed to use that tool.
Adolescent (12-17 years):
Idea-oriented and idealistic, too! Will be less interested in the “how” of your career, like the pre-
adolescent, than the “why” of what you do, and how that career might be good fit for them.
For more information about each stage, see the next page.
18Stages in Child Development Quick Reference Chart
This chart outlines the characteristics common to each development stage in four age group categories.
Elementary School
(12-17 years old)
(9-12 years old)
Developmental
Pre-Adolescent
(2-5 years old)
(5-9 years old)
Adolescent
Pre-School
Stages
Physical Rapid growth Growth more Desires Onset of
Development Abundant gradual activities puberty
energy Finer muscle requiring fine Rapid growth
Active coordination muscle and
movements Active coordination; development
with rough movements still Strives to attain Lack of fine
muscle required specific skills; motor
coordination Wide variation coordination
in individual due to rapid
development growth
awkwardness
Mental Process Primarily learns Interest span Concerned with Interested in
through the increases things rather ideas
senses Comparison than ideas Seeks specific
Developing with peer group Ability to and authentic
memory and becomes verbalize information
vocabulary important curiosity Desire for
Making intellectual
associations of freedom
cause and
effect
Social Process Self-centered Strong group Learning to Needs peer
Bases loyalties cooperate and group support
relationships on Pair enjoy group Testing
what he/she relationships activities tentative adult
can “get” from very important relationships
others
Relationships Primarily with First break from Need to find Conflict with
With Adults the “caring” home parental adults
person Begins substitutes in Desire for
relationships teachers and independence
with other group leaders
adults
19Key Message Points for Parents and Caregivers
It is as important to empower parents and caregivers with information about supporting their girls’
STEAM interests as it is to inspire girls to pursue STEAM studies and careers! Use any of these these
message points to help parents and caregivers support their girls even after the Girls and Science event
is over.
1. Encourage girls in their interests in STEAM disciplines. Be respectful and interested. Never
dissuade a girl because of your opinion of her abilities or aptitudes, or of the discipline she is
interested in learning. Give girls a sense of self-determination.
2. Develop a growth mindset* in girls. A growth mindset is one in which an individual believes that
their intelligence can be developed.
3. Encourage girls to embrace challenges and persist in the face of setbacks. Remind girls that
effort leads to mastery.
4. Introduce girls to role models in their community, in books and even on TV. Help them find
mentors they can connect with in person.
5. Become aware of your gender biases. Do you unintentionally enforce gender stereotypes with
your daughters (and sons)? Do you steer girls away from “boys’” interests and activities?
6. Make connections between a girl’s interests and possible careers. Enter her hobbies in a Google
search – possible career paths will be in the results!
7. Give girls lots of positive feedback in response to effort and performance – it builds confidence!
8. Let her be herself.
*Growth Mindset information on next page.
20Growth Mindset vs. Fixed Mindset
For more information on Dr. Carol Dweck’s research into growth mindsets, visit
http://dailygenius.com/the-difference-between-fixed-and-growth-mindsets/
21Sheltered English
Adapted from Dr. Janelle Johnson, MSU, and Jeanine Junell, Denver Zoo
Sheltered English is an instructional approach used with ELL students in schools to aid the beginning
English learner in, “developing grade-level content-area knowledge, academic skills, and increased
English proficiency.” Elements of it can be applied to informal learning situations, such as in a museum,
to improve communication with visitors whose English proficiency is limited. The goals are to give the
audience comprehensible input and provide opportunities for them to speak as well.
1. Be prepared to say, “welcome” in other languages!
2. Use pictures, models, graphs, diagrams, charts, etc. to communicate ideas
3. Utilize hands-on activities that allow for “learning by doing”
4. Always focus on the big idea and the concentrate on specific words within that idea (a limited
“vocabulary load”)
5. Display the big idea on a sign
6. Enunciate! Speak clearly and slowly (but not with more volume or a lower tone). Make sure the
listener can see your lips
7. Employ pauses, speak in shorter sentences, and use simple syntax
8. Avoid pronouns, slang, idioms, etc.
9. Allow time for non-native English speakers to speak to one-another in their native language to
share ideas
10. Allow a longer wait time when allowing a participant to answer or ask a question
*Be wary of using hand gestures, though. You can unintentionally offend someone!
22Event Logistics
Event date: Saturday, March 7
Building hours for Career Mentors and Teams: 7:30am to 6 pm
Event hours: 9am – 5pm
All Career Mentors and their team members MUST park offsite (location TBD) and take the
shuttle to and from the Museum, or use alternative transportation. Please plan extra time for
travel in order to park and ride the shuttle.
Career Mentors and team members can arrive at DMNS for set-up as early as 7:30am. All team
members, regardless of arrival time, should enter the Museum via the Staff and Volunteer
Entrance on the north side of the museum. This is the single door closest to the flagpole and
wolf pack sculptures.
All Career Mentors and team members must check-in at the Welcome Table, located in the
Central Atrium. At that time, each Career Mentor and team member (up to 20 total for
Clubhouse teams; 5 total for Stories teams) will receive a wristband that will give them
discounts on breakfast in the T-Rex Deli from 7:30-8:30am, and access to the Career Mentors
Team Lounge.
The event is open to the public from 9am – 5pm; however, in the event of long lines and/or
inclement weather, DMNS may open its doors as early as 8:45am. Due to this, please make sure
that the company’s Mentor Meet-Up table is set-up and the Career Mentor or support staff are
ready for guests by 8:45am
A team member from the company must be present at the Mentor Meet-Up during event hours.
One team member from each Stories sponsor company must attend an 8 am event orientation
briefing in the Career Mentors Team Lounge.
DMNS staff and volunteers will assist Career Mentors and their teams throughout the event
day.
More detailed logistics to come!
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