By Nan Acharya, Co-Chair
/ Tech Challenge
On November 17th, 2015, the Junior League of Palo Alto
Mid-Peninsula, in cooperation with the Tech Museum of Innovation, San Jose and
two peninsula schools, Synapse School and Charter Connect, launched its
signature Girls in STEM project with a training for girls and League volunteers
on the Tech Challenge. The Tech Challenge Committee (co-chaired by Kate Thome
and Nandini Acharya) was on hand to welcome 15 League women, representatives
from the Tech Museum and girls in grades 3-5 from Synapse School and Charter
Connect. The purpose of the event was two-fold, to introduce the girls to the
Tech Challenge and to train the League and parent mentors on how to best guide
and encourage the girls (without doing the work for them!).
First, Abby Longcor, Director of the Tech Challenge at the Tech Museum reviewed
with the girls how the challenge works, the timeline, the theme (flight!) and
core requirements. Ms. Longcor emphasized the importance of planning and the
role of experimentation and trial and error (emphasis on having fun and not
being afraid to try out innovative ideas). The Tech Museum even set up a mock
version of the test course to help the girls visualize the event. After
reviewing the guidelines for the Challenge and answering some great questions
from the girls, the girls engaged in a hand- on mini challenge involving
creating a flying object and shepherding "Ant-man"in it across a
short course. It was fantastic to see the interest sparked in the girls and the
enthusiasm with which they embarked on the mini-challenge. Afterwards, the
girls were given the opportunity to form teams and sign up to participate.
The second half of the evening involved an engaging session again led by Ms.
Longcor designed to prepare the League and parent volunteers to take on the
role of an effective Tech Challenge team mentor. Ms. Longcor reviewed
techniques and strategies to engage the girls, spark innovation and creativity,
help them organize and project-plan but let them do the creative and scientific
work. All in all, it was a fantastic event and the League, the Tech Challenge
Committee and the schools are poised to launch weekly mentoring sessions at
Synapse School for the girls starting in January and running through the Tech
Challenge Day on April 23, 2016 at
the Tech Museum. The League will underwrite the entrance and participation
costs and purchase supplies for the girls. We can't wait to take flight!
