News & Press Releases

Career-Influencing Conference at the Sycamore School Attended by Five ICS Girls

Two ICS teachers and five of their 7th grade students attended a novel event at the Sycamore School here in Indianapolis on March 8 – for girls only.

The “Curiosity, Confidence, Challenge!” math, science, and technology conference introduced middle-school-aged girls to careers in the fields of science and technology, with the goal of cultivating their interest prior to the girls entering high school. If they become excited about science and technology as career opportunities early in their education, then the girls can tailor their high school courses so that they are well prepared for college curriculum in these burgeoning fields.

The conference consisted of small group workshops – 24 choices in all – led by professional women working in math, science, and technology fields. During the workshops, students received hands-on experience in such areas as website design, restoring art, aeronautics, forensic anthropology, marine biology, and – not for the faint of heart – dissecting sheep eyes and pig hearts. Each girl selected four workshops and had the opportunity to attend three science-related assemblies: “Birds of the Wild,” which featured live predatory birds of prey brought in by Indy Parks and Recreation; “The Physics Circus,” presented by an IUPUI physics professor; and “Almost, Mr. Edison,” a dramatic presentation by an actor playing inventor Thomas Edison.

ICS Science teacher Ariel Jacobs, who accompanied the ICS students to the conference along with ICS Mathematics teacher Cindy Richardson, commented on the high quality programming exemplified by the "Birds of Prey" session. She noted that the Indy Parks bird handler talked about unique adaptations of the great horned owl, with its feathers designed for silent flight and uneven ears that pinpoint the exact location of sounds made by its prey such as mice and squirrels. The handler fed a falcon a dead mouse, a “performance” that drew numerous “ew!’s” from the grossed-out gallery and one “cool!” no doubt voiced by an aspiring ornithologist.

Ms. Jacobs added, “I did not see one bored girl at this conference. Everyone was smiling and eager to tell their friends what they just learned about involving genetics, botany, physics, and more.” Undoubtedly, the conference’s ultimate success will be judged by its future impact. To that end, one ICS student attendee informed Mrs. Richardson that because of her experience at the event, she wants to study to become an engineer. Which goes to show that right now, our students’ future is in the making.

Dow AgroSciences sponsored the conference. Scholarships for the attending students were made possible by the American Association of University Women. Of note, several ICS teachers also provided scholarships for ICS students who attended the conference.

Posted Fri Mar 14 at 04:18 pm