Hundreds of San Francisco Bay Area girls, their parents and their teachers will join former NASA astronaut Sally Ride on a journey of scientific discovery in early October.
On Sunday, Oct. 2, 2005, the NASA Research Park at NASA Ames Research Center, located in California’s Silicon Valley, will host the Sally Ride Science Festival. The educational event, designed for girls in grades 5-8, runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. PDT and features an inspirational talk by former astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman to fly in space; workshops given by female professionals in fields ranging from astrobiology to veterinary medicine; and an interactive street fair with experiments, food and music. Attendees are required to preregister for the event.
“It’s an honor for Ames to host this exciting festival. We are truly pleased to contribute to Sally’s quest to inspire young people, especially young girls, to get involved in science and engineering,” said NASA Ames Research Center Director G. Scott Hubbard.
“Women make up only 25 percent of the science, engineering and technology workforce,” said Ride, founder of Sally Ride Science™. “We are delighted to be working with NASA Ames to give Silicon Valley area girls a chance to explore and develop their potential in science at an age when many begin to drift away from their natural interest.”
The festival is designed to encourage girls and young women to pursue careers in math, science and engineering.
Schedule of Events
11:00 a.m. PDT Interactive Street Fair
1:00 p.m. PDT Featured Talk by Sally Ride
2:15 p.m. PDT Discovery Workshop 1
3:30 p.m. PDT Discovery Workshop 2
Girls will have the opportunity to attend two of the 19 workshops offered. Current workshop offerings include CSI: Silicon Valley; DNA Rules!; A Hands-on Experiment to Isolate DNA from Strawberries; Introduction to Circuits: Where Does the Current Go?; Balloon Rockets and Newton’s Third Law; Here Today; Gone to Mars!; Doing NASA Fieldwork in Extreme Environments; How Being a Detective and a Gardener Can Help Us Understand Life on Earth and other Planets; Bottle Rocket Madness!; Space in Your Face: Star Explorers; Flies in Space; and From Asthma to Zits: Biomedical Research Discovery and Cures.
Ride founded Sally Ride Science™ to support the large numbers of girls and young women who are, or might become, interested in science, math and technology. The company creates science experiences for girls that empower them, engage them and encourage their interests. Current programs include Sally Ride Science Festivals, Sally Ride Science Camps, TOYchallengeTM, and the Sally Ride Science ClubTM. Upcoming Sally Ride Science™ events include the Delaware Valley Festival on Oct. 9 at West Chester University, West Chester, Penn., and the 2006 TOYchallenge.
For a detailed schedule of events and more information about the Sally Ride Science Festival at NASA Ames, visit:
http://www.sallyridefestivals.com/
To preregister for the Sally Ride Science Festival, call 800/561-5161 or visit:
http://www.sallyridefestivals.com/05nasaames1002/register.shtml
MEDIA ADVISORY: News media representatives are invited to join hundreds of San Francisco Bay Area girls on Oct. 2, 2005, in a fun-filled interactive exploration of science, technology, engineering and math. The Sally Ride Science Festival will feature a keynote presentation by former astronaut Sally Ride, an interactive street fair and workshops. The festival runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. PDT at the NASA Research Park historic district at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. Ride will be available for interviews from 2:15 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. To reach NASA Ames, take the Moffett Field exit from U.S. Highway 101 and drive east to the main gate. Gate security staff will have maps to the festival. To attend or to schedule an interview with Ride, please call Jonas Dino at 650/604-5612.
