NGCP Collaboration Institute 2009
NGCP National Team members, Collaborative Leadership Team members, and AAUW liaisons came together in Philadelphia on January 23, 2009, for the third annual Collaboration Institute. Hosted by the Franklin Institute, the premiere science center in Philadelphia, 16 participants represented AAUW and regional collaboratives from MAGiC (Mid-Atlantic), Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Participants engaged in learning about the NGCP model and planning activities. Collaborative leads from Florida and Connecticut helped demonstrate NGCP strategies for successful implementation of the model. MAGiC and Pennsylvania are planning their kick-off conferences for this spring.

NGCP February Webcast
Best Practices in Creating Successful Collaborations: Lessons Learned from the National Girls Collaborative Project
February 11, 2009
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific
Are you interested in providing more effective program services? Have you faced barriers in identifying collaboration opportunities? The National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP) has been designed to encourage collaboration between girl-serving STEM organizations and higher education, community-based organizations, corporations, professional organizations and groups that are interested in increasing the number of girls and women in STEM fields. NGCP uses a number of strategic activities to encourage collaboration among girl-serving STEM projects and programs. This webcast will examine the key elements of effective collaboration by providing lessons learned from NGCP project staff and partners, including an opportunity to see collaboration in action by hearing about a new NGCP-SciGirls Project. Karen Peterson, Principal Investigator for the National Girls Collaborative Project, will present tips for creating successful collaborations.
Register: http://www.ngcproject.org/events/webcasts.cfm

Great Lakes Girls Collaborative-Indiana Kickoff Event
The Great Lakes Girls Collaborative Project (GLGCP) will host the Indiana Kick-Off Event on February 21, 2009, at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Campus Center. If you are interested in increasing capacity to involve girls in STEM through collaboration with others, attend this event to find out about GLGCP, network with others, and learn about mini-grant opportunities.
Register: http://www.ngcproject.org/events/ev ents.cfm? eventid=113

Florida Mini-Grant Applications Open in February
The Florida Girls Collaborative Project will begin accepting mini-grant applications February 16, 2009, through March 16, 2009. Decisions will be announced in April. Mini-grants are designed to enhance access, services, and to build collaboration between programs and resources. Register your program and preview mini-grant applications now at http://www.ngcproject.org/mini- grant/index.cfm. For more information contact Florida Girls Collaborative Project lead, Amy Foster.

New Assessing Women and Men in Engineering (AWE) Tools
Do you want to measure and enhance the effectiveness of the volunteers who participate in your outreach activities? Check out the AWE Activity Observation Form. This easy-to-use peer-to-peer tool encourages mindful presentations and continuous improvement. Download at AWEonline.org and choose Precollege Recruiting Surveys.

AWE Research Reviewers Needed
AWE and NAE CASEE are looking for practitioner reviewers for the Applying Research to Practice (ARP) Resources. Expertise in research is not required to conduct reviews. ARP Resources are tools intended to provide practitioners easy access to relevant research in the development of STEM activities for girls.
Volunteer: http://www.engr.psu.edu/awe/misc/LitOver viewsProposals.aspx#review

Calling All SciGirls - New PBSKids Science Series
Do you know girls or women passionate about science, technology, engineering, or math who would want to be on national television? If so, SciGirls wants to hear from you! A new science TV show for and about tween girls is coming to PBS. SciGirls will spotlight real girls using science to make a difference. Each SciGirls episode will follow a group of girls and their inquiry-based project, highlighting the great things that happen when girls are inspired and empowered by science. Suggest girls, mentors, or projects at the SciGirls Blog and you might see your story on TV. More details will also be included in the NGCP February webcast.

Innovate: Engineering Change DVD Available
The DVD Discussion Guide Package contains highlights from Innovate: Engineering Change, a program that will air on public television beginning in April 2009 for Earth Month. This documentary-style program takes viewers behind the scenes of a creative effort to address climate change. The program introduces a diverse group of scientists and engineers from Verdant Power. This dynamic team installs a turbine with resigned blades that successfully generates electricity from moving water. To request a copy of the DVD, e-mail Mary Swift. Preference will be given to girl-serving STEM programs who request five or more copies of the DVD.

NGCP Program Directory - Register your Program Today!
The online Program Directory lists organizations and programs that focus on motivating girls to pursue STEM careers. The purpose of the directory is to help organizations and individuals network, share resources, and collaborate on STEM-related projects for girls. When you sign up for the Program Directory you will enter your program description, resources available within your organization, program, and/or organizational needs and contact information.
http://www.ngcproject.org/directory

American Association of University Women (AAUW) members across the country are serving as Regional Liaisons for the National Girls Collaborative Project. These Regional Liaisons help the people involved in the NGCP to make connections - to one another, to resources on gender equity, and to AAUW.

AWE is the Assessing Women and Men in Engineering Project, which provides exportable assessment instruments, literature resources, and methodologies for Women in Engineering and similar programs. AWE is developing resources for use by K-12 STEM programs as part of NGCP services.