Geeky Girls Host Fun, Educational Events for Young Girls

Tandem's Geeky Girls program is thriving and held a well-attended event last weekend. Originally designed by Tandem student Mattea Gaines (TFS '24) as her senior project two years ago, the Geeky Girls mission is to spark STEM interest in young girls, specifically 3rd-5th graders. Upper School girls who are passionate about science host Geeky Girls events, each with a different scientific conceptual focus to share with younger girls in the community (not just Tandem). They design and lead lab stations that allow young girls to understand key concepts and get inspired by science, facilitating both excitement and learning! This year's Geeky Girls is led by seniors Addie T and Sofia S, who have carried on Mattea's vision for the group, with science teacher Casey Reed as their faculty mentor. Student leaders plan, research, gather materials, and do all of the advertising and outreach in order to recruit area participants. 

 

Last weekend's Geeky Girls event brought about 50 participants, many from Jackson Via, Brownsville, and other area schools. Several of the girls have been coming for three years! The theme of the lab was astronomy and all of the girls rotated through six different stations: making galaxy jars to represent the constellations and Milky Way; learning about moon phases (using Oreos) and what each indicatives environmentally; learning from a model how eclipses occur and how to view them safely; making model solar systems; learning about prisms and how light travels in space and in vacuums; and, making a sundial using paper plates and measuring instruments. In addition to leaders Addie and Sofia, 18 other Upoper School girls helped run the learning stations: 

The next Geeky Girls event on lab animal/marine life will be based on feedback they received from their participants about what they enjoyed, what they learned, and what experiments/topics they want to take on next. Geeky Girls rule!