PLN: Developing a Women Interested in Mathematics and Science Advancement (WIMSA) Network in a Rural Community

在农村社区发展对数学和科学进步感兴趣的妇女网络妇女对科学和数学根深蒂固的负面看法与她们在这些和相关领域的代表性不足直接相关(Gottfred，1993)。我们项目的目标是增加农村社区妇女在科学、数学、工程和技术(SMET)领域的参与。为了实现我们的目标，我们将启动一项计划，让整个社区的妇女参与到一个可持续的支持网络中。这是一个令人兴奋、复杂、长期的项目。这项提案是针对PGE示范规划补助金，这将使我们能够为完整的PGE示范补助金准备一个强有力的、全面的提案。我们的全额赠款将解决女孩所经历的不平等问题，特别是在低技术农村地区。这笔全额赠款将用于创建一个名为女性对数学和科学感兴趣(WIMSA)的项目。WIMSA计划将由个人和组织网络组成，所有这些都是为了增加女性在数学和科学领域的参与和成功。完整的提案将涉及WIMSA网络成员的招募，维持他们的成员资格，并扩大WIMSA计划。PGE示范规划项目将专注于WIMSA计划的所有方面的设计。两个主要规划拨款目标之一将是设计我们的试点项目，即每年为中学女孩举办的WIMSA暑期计划(WSP)，该计划将具有双重目的：成为将人们带入WIMSA网络的初始推动力，以及提高中学女孩和教师的技能水平。将成立一个计划委员会，由两名K-12教师、两名大学生和两名首席调查人员组成，以制定暑期计划。委员会将确定计划的规模和范围，设计计划活动和课程，并将就WSP实地活动与社区组织合作。该计划的设计将建立在全国其他SMET妇女干预计划的成功基础上。我们的其他主要规划拨款目标将是设计WIMSA的网络连接和活动。我们设想这个网络将把梅萨州立大学的教职员工和学生、K-12的教师和学生、私营企业、政府组织、教育协会、社区领袖以及任何与科学和数学有关的地方项目聚集在一起。我们的第一项活动将是由梅萨州主办的WIMSA启动会议，会议将包括来自所有目标组织的人员，并将向他们介绍WIMSA的概念。我们将创建一个WISMA顾问委员会，负责监督WIMSA项目的所有方面，包括编写完整的PGE示范补助金。我们将设计大学课程，为WIMSA成员提供持续的SMET活动和培训，包括为K-12教师提供研究生学分部分。我们将与当地企业和专业人士合作，为WSP设计活动，为WIMSA大学生提供实习机会，为K-12学生提供就业机会，以及在梅萨州立大学进行演讲。为了维持这种关系和合作，WIMSA每年将至少举行三次会议。虽然在我们的地区没有解决在SMET领域缺乏女性的计划，但有一些计划和组织致力于改善我们的社区，许多人希望做出改变。WIMSA计划将提供一个利用和协调这些资源的令人难以置信的机会，并创建一个将产生长期影响的非常有效的计划。

Developing a Women Interested in Mathematics and Science Advancement (WIMSA) Network in a Rural CommunityWomen's deeply ingrained negative perceptions of science and mathematics are directlylinked to their underrepresentation in these and related fields (Gottfried, 1993). The goal of our project is to increase the participation of women from rural communities in the fields of science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET). To achieve our goal, we will initiate a program that involves women throughout the community in a sustainednetwork of support. This is an exciting, complex, long-term project. This proposal is fora PGE Demonstration Planning Grant, which will enable us to prepare a strong, comprehensiveproposal for a full PGE Demonstration Grant. Our full grant will address the inequities experienced by girls, particularly in low-tech rural areas. The full grant will be used to create a program, called Women Interested in Mathematics and Science Advancement(WIMSA). The WIMSA program will consist of a network of people and organizations, all with the goal of increasing the participation and success of females in mathematics and science. The full proposal will address recruitment of WIMSA network members, sustaining their membership, and expanding the WIMSA program. The PGE DemonstrationPlanning project will focus on the design of all aspects of the WIMSA program.One of the two main planning grant objectives will be to design our pilot project, the annual WIMSA Summer Program (WSP) for middle school girls, which will have the dual purpose ofbeing the initial impetus to bring people into the WIMSA network, and of increasing the skill level of middle school girls and teachers. A planning committee,consisting of two K-12 teachers, two college students, and the two Principal Investigators, will be formed to develop the summer program. The committee willdetermine the size and scope of the program, design program activities and curriculum, and will collaborate with community organizations regarding WSP field activities. The program design will build on the successes of other SMET intervention programs for women across the country.Our other main planning grant objective will be to design the WIMSA network connections and activities. We envision this network bringing together Mesa State faculty and students,K-12 teachers and students, private businesses, government organizations, educationalassociations, community leaders and any local programs involved with science andmathematics. Our first activity will be a WIMSA kickoff meeting, hosted by Mesa State,which will include people from all target organizations and will introduce them to theWIMSA concept. We will create a WISMA Advisory Board that will oversee all aspects of the WIMSA project, including writing the full PGE Demonstration Grant. We will design college courses to provide ongoing SMET activities and training for WIMSA members, including a graduate credit component for K-12 teachers. We will collaborate with local businesses and professionals to design activities for theWSP, internship opportunities for WIMSA college students, job-shadowing opportunities for K-12 students, and presentation opportunities at Mesa State. In order to sustain such relationshipsand collaborations, there will be WIMSA meetings at least threetimes per year. Although there are no programs in our area addressing the lack of females in SMET fields, there are programs and organizations committed to improving our community, and manypeople who wish to make a difference. The WIMSA program will provide an incredible opportunity to harness and coordinate these resources and create a very effective program that will have long-ranging impact.