Summer Program List and Watchlist Features in the Program Directory
The NGCP Program Directory allows users to search for summer programs in their area and nationwide. The advanced search feature is especially useful for educators, parents, and students looking for a particular service delivery format such as an afterschool program or special event. Another feature of the Program Directory is registered users can create Watchlists to be notified if a particular program, programs in their state, or programs with a keyword make changes to their entry or register in the directory. Keep up-to-date on programs in your area with this feature.

Midwest Girls Collaborative Kick-Off Conference
The first Midwest Girls Collaborative Kick-off Conference was held on April 17, 2009, at the Northern Illinois University Conference Center. Seventy-one participants from forty-eight different organizations obtained STEM resources, heard success stories, and discovered new partners. Three breakout sessions included: Increasing Girls Involvement in STEM Activities, Evaluation of STEM Programs, and Nanotechnology. The conference brought together potential collaborators to revitalize existing programs with new ideas and resources.

Pennsylvania STEM Girls Collaborative Hosts Successful Kick-Off
On May 5, 2009, eighty individuals from community organizations, school districts, and higher education attended the Pennsylvania STEM Girls Collaborative Kick-Off at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Keynote speaker Dr. Joanna Floros, a leading researcher and Evan Pugh Professor of Pediatrics, discussed being a role model for young girls who aspire to careers in STEM. In addition to Floros' presentation, there was a review of the PA STEM Initiative, an explanation of the mini-grant application process, and a speed networking session. The PA STEM Girls Collaborative also opened registration for mini-grant applications, which will be accepted through June 17, 2009.

Northeastern Girls Collaborative Rhode Island Kicks Off Successfully
Twenty-seven people gathered on Saturday, May 16, 2009, at New England Institute of Technology (NEIT) to learn more about the Northeastern Girls Collaborative. Hosted by Rhode Island's Leadership Team Members, Shanna Wells of the RI Commission on Women, Erin Flynn of NEIT, and Jo Ann Johnson of the Tech Collective, the event was an opportunity for individuals in Rhode Island to begin networking with each other. Keynote speaker Gertrude Mandeville, President of the Tech Collective's Women in Technology group, addressed barriers for girls in STEM subjects.

Great Lakes Girls Collaborative Professional Development Forum
The Great Lakes Girls Collaborative implemented a half-day professional development forum at Marian College in Indianapolis on May 20. The opening program included a presentation by Nycole L. Harvey, Program Coordinator for the Indianapolis Urban League, a summer technology day camp for 12-17 year old girls. This was followed by concurrent sessions on Attracting K-12 Girls to Computing through Alice; Involving Girls in Robotics Clubs; Targeting Girls through Purdue University's K-12 Outreach Program; and Middle School Family Math.

Connecticut Girls Collaborative Spring Forum
The Connecticut Girls Collaborative held its Spring Forum, Empowering Girls through Collaboration, on May 28, 2009, at the New England Air Museum. All participants enjoyed a session with Techbridge, launched in 2000 by the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland to expand the options of girls in underserved communities and to address the shortage of women and underrepresented groups in technology and engineering. The morning ended with a tour of the New England Air Museum.

Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative Annual Conference, Lexington, KY
June 15, 2009
The Kentucky Girls STEM Collaborative will host its first annual conference, designed to bring together educators, industry, mini-grant awardees, and government to explore ways to increase the number of Kentucky girls interested in STEM careers. Mini-grant awardees will present on their activities and experiences helping support girls in STEM. Following the conference, Kentucky will host a Workshop & KY Girls Day Out on June 16.
Register: http://www.ngcproject.org/events/events.cfm?eventid=127

GRITS Collaborative Forum, Kingsport, TN
June 15, 2009
The Girls Raised in Tennessee Science (GRITS) Collaborative will host a forum designed to provide opportunities for face-to-face collaboration. Forum participants will also explore ways to apply research-based strategies and promising practices in collaboration, information learning, and evaluation and assessment. For more information, contact Cacy DeSheles.

WEPAN 2009 National Conference, Austin, TX
Center Stage: Effective Strategies for Recruitment and Talent Development
June 17-19, 2009
The Women in Engineering ProActive Network's (WEPAN) national conference gathers professionals to translate the most current research into best practices. Recurring and emerging issues are addressed by participants representing industry, community college and universities, K-12 and informal education, policy makers, and other advocates.
http://www.wepan.org/

International Symposium on Engineering Education and Educational Technology 2009 (EEET 2009), Orlando, FL
July 10-13, 2009
EEET 2009 will bring together academics and practitioners from engineering education, educational technologies, and educational systems engineering to support collaboration in these areas.
http://www.ICTconfer.org/eeet

Techbridge Summer Training Institute, Oakland, CA
August 3-5, 2009
Are you interested in developing or enhancing a program to encourage girls in technology, science, or engineering? Would you like to gain girl-tested, hands-on curriculum and learn strategies for success? A program of Chabot Space & Science Center, Techbridge has served over 2,500 girls in after-school and summer programs since 2000, offering hands-on engineering and technology projects and career exploration opportunities such as field trips to corporate worksites and classroom visits by role models.
http://www.techbridgegirls.org/programs_institute.asp

Year of Science Jellyfish Naming Contest
As part of the June ocean and water theme for the 2009 Year of Science, join a scientific team and help give the Bonaire Banded Box Jellyfish a species name. This new name will become the official scientific name and appear in several scientific publications. Encourage youth, students, scientists, and friends to participate and share information about the contest. Submissions will be accepted through June 14 and judged by a panel of jellyfish experts.
http://yearofscience2009.org/jellyfish

Science: It's a Girl Thing! Web Site Launched
Through a grant from the National Science Foundation, the Educational Equity Center is adapting its award-winning program "Playtime is Science" that targets parents and caregivers (of children ages 4-8) via the Web. Science: It's a Girl Thing! includes a series of short, entertaining, and educational videos and free PDF activity cards for parents to engage and encourage girls in science explorations. For more information, contact Linda Colon.

New Feminist Press Under the Microscope Web Site
Under the Microscope is a new Web site developed by IBM for the Feminist Press and the CUNY Graduate Center's NSF-funded Women Writing Science project. Under the Microscope is collecting stories from women involved in science, interested in science, and those who are pursuing and maintaining careers in science. These stories will eventually be published in a survival guide for women entering STEM fields. To share your story, go to the Web site, register, and submit your story.

Kerpoof: Introducing Kids to Science Web Site
Engineer Krista Marks developed a Web site owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company that introduces kids to basic programming through fun and creative lessons with support from two NSF Small Business Innovation Research grants. Kerpoof provides free multimedia software for educators in elementary and middle schools to create original artwork, animated movies, greeting cards, t-shirts, and more. Kerpoof is a great way to introduce broad concepts about computers, the Internet, and technical fluency. The Kerpoof teacher's page includes lesson plans, ideas for classroom use, a free monthly e-newsletter, and contests.

New WEPAN Knowledge Center Now Available
Thanks to a generous grant from the National Science Foundation and WEPAN (Women in Engineering ProActive Network) corporate sponsors, WEPAN's new online Knowledge Center is open for use with more than 600 information resources available. The WEPAN Knowledge Center (WKC) provides a publicly accessible tool for accessing information related to women in engineering and a professional networking platform for registered users. WKC offers access to cataloged and fully cited information resources, an online professional community, and special online events.

NAE Announces Winners of National Essay Contest
The National Academy of Engineering's EngineerGirl! Web site recently announced winners of the 2009 Imagine That! Engineering Innovation Essay Contest. This national contest asked young people to consider one of three images on the EngineerGirl! site and discuss its potential purposes and functions using engineering creativity. More than 400 students submitted essays. All of the winning essays are posted at EngineerGirl!, designed to offer middle school girls information about various engineering fields and careers.

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.