Girls have fun with experiments through camps and workshops presented by Project Scientist .
COURTESY OF PROJECT SCIENTIST
change , marine science and genetics to coding , forensics , robotics and more with hopes that they will find their passion and , ultimately , leave a lasting impact on the world .
GIRL POWER Since recently celebrating a decade of service , Laguna Beach-based education nonprofit Project Scientist has experienced endless growth , having now served more than 20,000 girls .
“ While I was running The NASCAR Foundation , I was really digging into STEM ,” says Project Scientist founder and former CEO Sandy Marshall . “… As I researched , I learned that , at different ages , girls and women drop out of STEM subjects , majors or careers due to loss of confidence and role models . At the time , I had a 4-year-old daughter and I wanted her to be competent in STEM and to believe that she could be in any sort of career she wanted to . So I started Project Scientist to really serve her [ and girls like her ].”
Project Scientist used to host programming on college campuses — locally , at Concordia University Irvine and the University of California , Irvine — but went entirely virtual when the COVID-19 pandemic hit . Though the organization is back to focusing on in-person workshops , the business model has pivoted to focus on low-income students , with programming held at local schools , Boys & Girls Clubs , libraries and STEM-related companies .
During the summertime , the immersive Summer STEAM Lab — adding arts to STEM — gives 4- to 12-year-old girls the chance to do a deep dive within businesses like Google Fiber , CoreLogic , Blizzard
Project Scientist empowers girls to embrace science , technology , engineering and math .
Entertainment and Capital Group , learning relevant skills while completing hands-on tasks . “ Girls need to see women thriving in that space ,” Marshall adds . “ They need that relevance of local careers to keep them excited and encouraged to continue down that path .”
An after-school STEAM Club , also designed for girls from 4 to 12 years old , is offered during the academic year , on-site in Southern California , Minnesota , North Carolina and Mexico as well as online for those in other markets . A new theme is presented each month , with special kits sent out with specialized content and activities . Additionally , a virtual scholars program gives 13- to 18-year-olds a chance to connect with likeminded girls over STEM activities on Sunday evenings , ensuring that youths can participate in Project Scientist from the time they ’ re 4 until they become adults .
“ When you ’ re in a STEM program , you ’ re learning critical thinking skills , problem solving [ and ] creativity ,” Marshall says . “ We are always stressing to have girls become comfortable with failing and making mistakes because , in science , that drives innovation . You ’ re never going to solve these critical issues we have if you ’ re not taking risks .”
Marshall recently passed the reins to a new CEO , Patrice Johnson , to lead the organization through its next chapter . And Project Scientist is just getting started , with a goal of providing 1 million STEM experiences by 2040 .
MARINE MAGIC Educational programs at Pacific Marine Mammal Center — a nonprofit located in Laguna Canyon that facilitates the rescue and
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