The GEMS Club, for girls in grades 3 through 8 who are interested in math and science, meets monthly. Photo provided
By Janis Fontaine
Pretty is good, Kate Arrizza tells her 4-year-old daughter. “But smart is better.”
Helping children excel in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, is the focus of everything the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium does, says Arrizza, the chief operating officer.
It has been around for years, but “there are still people who don’t know or understand what STEM is,” she says.
Most people do know that the United States has been lagging behind other countries academically in these fast-growing fields. Re-educating the workforce starts in elementary school. And because more than half of today’s workforce is women, there is a push to educate girls and prepare them to be leaders, Arrizza says.
One program that grew out of that need is the GEMS Club, which stands for “Girls Excelling in Math and Science.” It’s a monthly club for girls in grades 3 through 8 who are interested in science and math.
The champion of the GEMS movement, Laura Reasoner Jones, started the first club 22 years ago as an after-school activity for fifth- and sixth-grade girls. Today nearly 50 programs exist nationwide, including this one.
The science center’s program started in July 2014, with 76 girls the first month. The next month, more than 200 girls came. Now it’s leveled off to about 120-150 girls who regularly show up to talk science, do experiments or crafts, listen to guest speakers, eat pizza and talk.
The GEMS program has two purposes: introducing girls to fields they didn’t know existed and pointing out where the good-paying jobs are, and building their confidence to compete in a male-dominated industry.
At each GEMS meeting, a female professional from a STEM field comes to talk to the girls about her job. Girls get to meet role models such as entomologists or rocket engineers.
Kids are so savvy these days, Arrizza says, they are very interested in where the money is and they’ve actually asked the speakers what kind of green they’re earning.
Now there’s good news for the girls in the north county. Beginning Oct. 11, a second GEMS Club will meet at the STEM Studio in Abacoa.
Each GEMS Club meeting has a different theme. One of the highlights each week is the guest speaker, a woman who has made a career out of science, technology, math or engineering, who shares her story.
Amanda Long, who leads the group, earned a bachelor of science with a concentration in marine biology from Palm Beach Atlantic University in 2015. She credits a science teacher who planned nature walks on weekends with building her confidence and encouraging her to pursue a science degree.
Long says parents mention how inspiring the women who speak to their daughters are.
At the next meeting, Oct. 25, the topic will be the “Science of Fear.” A registration fee is $5 in advance, $7 for walk-ins, which covers pizza and refreshments. Most of the cost is absorbed by Aerojet Rocketdyne, a tech company in Jupiter.
South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is at 4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach. The group meets from 5 to 7 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month at the Science Center. Reservations are recommended. High school girls are needed to volunteer to be mentors. Info: 370-7710 or visit www.sfsciencecenter.org/gems.
Mark your calendar
The Science Center’s Fall Family Fun Fest will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8. This event features an interactive Mobile Learning Adventure, a traveling exhibit for children up to 5 years old, plus themed crafts, face painting, a bounce house, live science demonstrations, carnival-style games and the petting zoo, a perennial favorite, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Food is available in the WT Cafe. The event is free with paid admission to the Science Center, which is $13 for adults, $9 for ages 3-12, $11 for seniors and free for members and age 2 and younger.
Call 832-1988.
The human body, really
A new Science Center exhibit, “Our Body: The Universe Within,” looks at the human body and what it does, with actual bodies and organs preserved using a process known as polymer impregnation.
This national exhibit, which opens Oct. 22 and runs through April 23, is appropriate for all ages.
On weekends, medical students from Florida Atlantic University will staff the center and answer questions about how the body works. Just look for the people in white lab coats.
Teacher open house
The center is hosting a STEM Teacher Open House from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 8, in partnership with the Palm Beach Zoo. Guests will take a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo’s state-of-the-art animal hospital, participate in live science and animal demonstrations and build, tinker and explore in the Science Showcase area.
The free open house, which includes lunch, is designed for teachers in grades K-12. Professional development points are available through the Palm Beach County School District.
Advance registration is required online at sfsciencecenter.org or call 832- 2026.
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