Eureka! has a special meaning for 16 girls who attended 8th grade at Mount Anthony Middle School last year. Each Tuesday they gathered for an after school club that placed math, science and technology in a brand new light and exposed students to related careers for women.

The girls learned about airflow by building paper airplanes and helicopters and flying them in the school hallways and stairwells after most students and teachers had left the building. They learned about engineering concepts by building strong structures with toothpicks and gumdrops -- one structure was strong enough to support nine text books! Using professional laboratory glassware and materials, the girls tested the acidity of rainwater, proved that Tums do neutralize acids, and polymerized glue.

Four field trips within the greater Bennington area introduced the girls to careers in science and engineering. On a visit to Mack Molding they were escorted through the plant by female chemical engineer Dwalin DeBoer. Jonah Spivak and Beth Kessler at Spectrum Design helped the students design their own logos for Eureka T-shirts.

At the hospital radiologist Nancy Callahan showed many x-rays and explained the associated injuries. The girls also met the x-ray technology students and learned about the training required to enter this profession. At CAT-TV the girls acted, ran TV cameras and learned about digital editing with the help of Lisa Byer DeAngelis and Jamie Granger.

The year's grand finale was an all-day trip to the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich, Vermont. The girls were challenged and delighted by dozens of hands-on experiments, puzzles and games. After lunch, they observed glass blowing at Simon Pearce and learned about birds of prey at the Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee. Ice cream cones at the Wilcox Dairy in Manchester topped off a day of discovery and fun.


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American Association of University Women of Vermont

The Eureka Project:
Helping girls Experience the Triumph of Discovery

2004-2005 Program at the Mount Anthony Union Middle School
Eureka T-shirt logo designed by the girls