WGIDPO: AWSEM Advocacy Program: Expanding Outreach to Engineering and Technology

倡导妇女在科学，工程和数学（AWSEM）是一个科学和数学倡导计划的四到十二年级的女孩。作为俄勒冈科学技术研究生院星期六学院的一个项目，AWSEM项目创建并支持由科学技术专业人士、教育工作者、家长和社区组织组成的区域网络，致力于为年轻女性丰富科学、工程和数学方面的机会。这些由社区领袖组成的区域性网络共同努力：(1)消除科学、工程和数学不适合女性的普遍态度；(2)在当地社区及其公共和私人机构内部建立联系，促进年轻女性科学机会的扩大；(3)建立一个垂直的支持系统，从女学生开始，包括大学生、教师、家长和专业人士，以确保年轻女性和科学从业者之间持续、长期的联系。AWSEM目前在波特兰大都会地区维护着一个由18个课后科学和数学俱乐部组成的网络，致力于与专业女性进行实践学习和现场体验。目前，在二十多个公司、机构和学术工作场所，职业女性在整个学年为俱乐部成员提供一整天的互动实地考察。另外，AWSEM俱乐部已经开始使用AWSEM的课程和材料，支持和培训AWSEM的员工。通过与专业组织国际技术妇女组织（WITI）的合作，该方案正在向全国推广。AWSEM维护着一个综合的科学和工程从业人员区域数据库，并作为有兴趣鼓励年轻妇女学习科学和数学的当地社区的中央资源中心，提供全天的研讨会，以创建倡导计划，并开发和传播补充课程和材料。这些材料包括“传递火炬：AWSEM项目的视频概述”，以及AWSEM“行动工具包”，这是一本创建倡导项目的指南，包括家长，教师和专业人员的部分，许可单和其他重要文书工作的模板，以及超过45个按年龄组和领域划分的实践课程。所有模板和课程都包含在磁盘上。AWSEM的其他材料包括“从业人员指南：年轻女性的榜样”，其中列出了150多名在科学、工程、数学和技术领域有兴趣担任导师的女性，以及“科学通行证”，这是一本个人探索科学的指南。自1983年以来，周六学院的课程，包括AWSEM，已经为俄勒冈州和南华盛顿州的44,000多名积极的4至12年级学生提供了服务，通过利用工业，高等教育和社区机构的专业知识，设备和设施，提供了学习课堂之外的机会。1996年，周六学院获得了“卓越指导总统奖”，以表彰其在支持科学和工程领域代表性不足的学生群体方面所做的工作。

Advocates for Women in Science, Engineering and Mathematics (AWSEM) is a science and math advocacy program for fourth through twelfth grade girls. A program of Saturday Academy at Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, the AWSEM project creates and supports regional networks of science and technology professionals, educators, parents and community organizations dedicated to enriching the opportunities in science, engineering and mathematics for young women. These regional networks of community leaders work together to: (1) dispel the pervasive attitude that science, engineering and mathematics are inappropriate fields for women; (2) create links within local communities and their public and private institutions to promote the expansion of science opportunities for young women; and (3) establish a vertical support system beginning with school girls and including college students, teachers, parents and professionals that will ensure sustainable, long-term contact between young women and science practitioners. AWSEM currently maintains a network of eighteen after-school science and math clubs in the Portland metropolitan area dedicated to hands-on learning and on-site experience with professional women. At present, professional women at over twenty corporate, agency and academic worksites provide day- long interactive site visits for club members throughout the academic year. Other, AWSEM clubs have begun with the support and training of AWSEM's staff, using AWSEM curriculum and materials. The program is in the process of expanding nationally through a collaboration with the professional organization, Women in Technology International (WITI). AWSEM maintains a comprehensive regional database of science and engineering practitioners and acts as a central resource center for local communities interested in encouraging young women to study science and mathematics, offering day-long workshops on creating advocacy programs, and developing and disseminating supplementary curriculum and materials. These materials include "Passing the Torch,: a video overview of the AWSEM Project, and the AWSEM "Action Kit," a guidebook to creating advocacy programming, including sections for parents, teachers and professional, templates for permission slips and other important paper work, and over 45 hands-on curriculum pieces broken down by age group and field. All templates and curriculum are included on disk as well. Other AWSEM materials include the "Directory of Practitioners: Role Models for Young Women," a listing of over 150 women in science, engineering, mathematics and technology interested in working as mentors, and the "Passport to Science,," a guidebook for individual explorations of science. Since 1983, Saturday Academy's programs, including AWSEM, have served over 44,000 motivated 4th through 12th grade students throughout Oregon and Southern Washington, providing opportunities to learn beyond the classroom by making use of the expertise, equipment and facilities found in industry, higher education and community agencies. In 1996 Saturday Academy received the "Presidential Award for Excellence in Mentoring" for its work in support of students from groups under-represented in science and engineering.