MPWG: Girls in Engineering: Hands-On Museum Exhibit Development

八年级是女孩受教育的重要阶段，尤其是在决定是否选择科学和数学专业的时候。为了促进对科学和工程的兴趣和天赋，我们提出了一个创新的计划，让八年级的女孩和她们的导师（最好是母亲或学校的女老师）。他们将成为一个工程团队的一部分，该团队包括一名塔夫茨大学教师、一名塔夫茨大学本科生、一名塔夫茨大学工作人员和一名阿克顿发现博物馆的工作人员。五个团队将致力于开发实际动手的科学博物馆展品。每个展览都将重点关注一个特定的科学/工程原理，这些原理将在项目的初始阶段在一个支持性和有趣的学习环境中进行探索。这些展览将按照主题的方式与其他展览联系在一起，并将利用发现学习活动为基础的学习向人们传授科学和工程原理。这些展品将在阿克顿发现博物馆展出，并将特别邀请班级。在这些活动中，学生们将成为围绕展览活动的主持人。这些博物馆展品是由周围社区的女孩和妇女开发的，这一事实将在展览中得到强调。该项目的成功完成可以为全国中小学、大学和博物馆之间的合作提供一个模式，以提高女孩和年轻妇女的学习经验。

The eighth grade is an important point in a girl's education, particularly in deciding whether or not to follow a science and mathematics track. In order to promote interest and aptitude in science and engineering, we propose an innovated program that involves eighth grade girls with their mentors (preferable the mother or a female teacher from their school). They will be part of an engineering team that includes a Tufts faculty member, a Tufts undergraduate, a Tufts staff member, and a staff member from the Acton Discovery Museum. Five teams will work on developing actual hands-on science-museum exhibits. Each exhibit will focus on a specific science/engineering principle that will be explored during the initial phase of the project in a supportive and fun learning environment. The exhibits will link together with other exhibits following a thematic approach, and will use discovery learning activity-based learning to teach people about science and engineering principles. These exhibits will be displayed at the Acton Discovery Museum and classes will be especially invited. The students will be the facilitators of the activities around the exhibits during these events. The fact that these museum exhibits were developed by girls and women of the surrounding communities will be emphasized in the displays. Successful completion of this project may provide a model for collaboration among schools, universities, and museums nationwide in enhancing learning experiences of girls and young women.