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感兴趣的妇女（WIMSA）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（Gottfried, 1993）。我们项目的目标是增加农村社区妇女在科学、数学、工程和技术领域的参与。为了实现我们的目标，我们将启动一个项目，让整个社区的妇女参与到一个持续的支持网络中来。这是一个令人兴奋的、复杂的、长期的项目。该提案是PGE示范规划赠款的论坛，这将使我们能够为完整的PGE示范赠款准备一份强有力的、全面的提案。我们的全额赠款将用于解决女童所面临的不平等问题，特别是在技术水平较低的农村地区。这笔全额拨款将用于创建一个名为“对数学和科学进步感兴趣的女性”（WIMSA）的项目。WIMSA计划将包括一个由个人和组织组成的网络，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，维持其会员资格，并扩大WIMSA计划。PGE演示规划项目将侧重于WIMSA项目各方面的设计。两个主要的计划拨款目标之一将是设计我们的试点项目，即每年为中学女生举办的WIMSA暑期项目（WSP），该项目将具有双重目的：首先推动人们加入WIMSA网络，并提高中学女生和教师的技能水平。将成立由2名K-12教师、2名大学生、2名首席研究员组成的计划委员会，负责开发夏季项目。委员会将决定项目的规模和范围，设计项目活动和课程，并就科进的实地活动与社区组织合作。该方案的设计将以全国其他针对妇女的SMET干预方案的成功为基础。我们的另一个主要规划拨款目标将是设计WIMSA网络连接和活动。我们设想这个网络将梅萨州立大学的教师和学生、K-12教师和学生、私营企业、政府组织、教育协会、社区领袖和任何与科学和数学有关的当地项目聚集在一起。我们的第一项活动将是由梅萨州立大学主办的WIMSA启动会议，会议将包括所有目标组织的人员，并向他们介绍WIMSA的概念。我们将创建一个WISMA咨询委员会，负责监督WIMSA项目的各个方面，包括编写完整的PGE示范基金。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K-12教师的研究生学分部分。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学生提供工作见影机会，并在梅萨州立大学提供演讲机会。为了维持这种关系和合作，WIMSA每年将至少举行三次会议。虽然在我们的领域没有解决女性在SMET领域缺乏的项目，但有一些项目和组织致力于改善我们的社区，许多人希望有所作为。WIMSA项目将提供一个难得的机会来利用和协调这些资源，并创建一个将产生长期影响的非常有效的项目。

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.