Sciences are also for girls

1
Sciences are also for girls
NCCR- Advancement of Women 23 May 2006 Bern
Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
2
Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
3
Before university

• Scientific camps  Sciences are also for girls 

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
4
We would like to

• Show that Sciences are interesting and funny
• Show Women can also become scientists
• Give an occasion to do experiments by themselves
• Outline what is a scientific reflexion
• Create a pleasant affective experiment relied to
  sciences

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
5
Receipt for a good camp

• 20 girls between 11 and 13
• 3 scientists (1 responsible, 2 student
  assistants)
• 2 children assistants
• 1 scientific guest/ day
• 1 seminar room at EPFL
• kitchen tools, aliments, etc for experiments

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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How the scientific week is organized

• Each day has a theme (water, air, earth, light,
  electricity, chemistry etc)

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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How the scientific week is organized

• In the morning Children do experiments and each
  phenomenon is discussed in group. Children
  propose spontaneously other experiments
• and try them.

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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How the scientific week is organized

• At midday lunch is taken together
• After lunch children work out a scientific group
  project (in groups of 4) which is presented at
  the end of the week. The best project receives an
  award.

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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How the scientific week is organized

• In the afternoon 1 scientific guest speaks about
  the domain in which he/she works.

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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How the scientific week is organized

• The day ends with games

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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Echo by parents and by children

• Parents are very concerned about scientific
  education and try to register their daughters,
  even if some of them arent interested to join
  before the camp.
• Often, they request a similar event for boys

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
12
Echo by parents and by children

• An evaluation is given by each girl at the end of
  the camp.
• Sample remarks
• -I like sciences, and I love experiments. This
  camp was very funny.
• -Its a pity that it lasts only one week
• -I loved this camp but there were some vegetables
  at midday.

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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 Playing with maths 

• Logic and mathematical games  Maths en jeu 
  from january 2006

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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Two groups of 20 children between 11 and 13. -1
time a week -Most of them continue until the end
of the semester -Break misconceptions about
mathematics
Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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We try to tackle different subjects in a funny
way. Examples logic games, geometric games,
prime numbers, divisibility, combinatory,
probability, etc
Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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-Different levels between children -Next year we
want also to start with an advanced
group -Children show a lot of enthusiasm
Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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In the media

• "La science c'est ... aussi pour les filles",
  Article de F. Moser, Journal Flash du 1.11.2005
• "Les filles ne sont pas nulles en maths", Article
  de Pascal Vermot, Journal Flash EPFL no 2 du
  31.1.2006
• A report was done by TVRL (the regional
  television of Lausanne) in april 2006
• http//stream.tvrl.ch/2006_4_18_21069_H.ram 
• "L'EPFL drague les filles avec internet pour les
  attirer sur la voie scientifique", article de
  Pauline Renaud, 24Heures du lundi 3 avril 2006

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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Conclusions

• At the end of camps, and during  maths en jeu 
  more and more girls told me that they wanted to
  become engineers or scientists.
• Some of them, after the camp, are ready to choose
  math-physics option.
• A very early experiment may decide a choice of
  career

Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert
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Thank you for your attention!
Dr. Farnaz Moser-Boroumand
Dr. Andrea Fabian Montabert