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11th Annual Girls In Science Day At WKU

Posted: 5:45 AM Apr 14, 2012
Reporter: Elsa Bolt

More than 150 young girls got a special lesson in science.

"I think there's a lot of things we can do with what we're learning here in science because you use science a lot because science makes up everything," says Merina Sullivan, who is 11-years-old.

It was all part of Western Kentucky University's Girls in Science Day.

The event allows fourth through seventh graders in the community to take all kinds of classes they normally wouldn't have the opportunity to.

"Is a fourth grade girl going to get to dissect a termite or look at it under a microscope or talk to an astronomer about their research, there's so many different sciences they get to have a taste of today," says Dr. Rachel Campbell, WKU's Observatory Education Scientist.

The girls learned everything from the connection between living creatures, to how to make a polymer or large molecule.

They also learned about a new planet that is very similar to Earth and even got to make aliens out of construction paper.

Some of the students say what they learned will help them with their future careers.

"I want to work with animals and this is really helping me cause like the classes that I'm taking, most of them involve animals and chemistry and stuff like that, that can help me when I get older," says Kaylen Wood, who wants to be a vet one day.

"These things will help me later on life when I'll be a doctor, actually," added Maiah Cisco, who wants to be a doctor one day.

WKU's Observatory Education Scientist says the day is meant to prepare these girls for their future and to get them more excited about the science field.

"We don't have as many girls in science as we should have so this day will hopefully fix all of that, push girls into science, math, engineering, and technology," says Dr. Campbell.

Organizers hope these young girls will take what they learned and apply it to the real world.

This was the eleventh year this event has been held for young girls.