How Would You Build a Flying Saucer?
The first week of December, Girls Inc. hosted a Family Night for 34 girls and their families in the Eureka! program where girls discussed their projects and talked about what they learned. In the 8th and 9th grades, girls in Eureka! learn about and practice STEM topics, develop their leadership skills, and build community.
The girls were very excited to present their projects and practice their public speaking and presentation skills. One group presented the Flawless program, where girls learned about social media and music videos and explored how they affect their lives. Girls analyzed imagery and messaging, and compared what they saw in the daily lives with what they saw online. The girls’ observations were astute: women were objectified, bodies, skin and hair were photoshopped into unrealistic portrayals, and videos focused on body parts rather than the whole woman – all of which feed into negative self-image and low self-esteem.
When asked what they plan to do differently in their own social media feeds, one girl inspired the room and said, “I want to show the world that there are diverse, natural, and beautiful girls out there – and that we can just be ourselves!”
For their STEM projects, Girls learned about electricity and integrated circuits and built their own snap circuit boards. Their experiments showed off spinning, flashing lights, and sound. One group launched a fan blade to simulate a flying saucer!
The girls made posters and had a great time presenting their projects. They all said they learned something new. As one group put it, “We chose this project because it looked fun and challenging. We wanted to be as creative as we could.”
The evening concluded with awards. 6 girls were honored for their Eureka! spirit, dedication and leadership. We are extremely proud of our girls and their accomplishments, and look forward to watching them grow into their strong, smart, and bold futures.