Gems is an after school science, math and technology
enrichment project for young women (grades 4-8) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The Augsburg NASA Space Grant Program has worked closely with Dr. Brad
Blue, Minneapolis Public School Science/Math teacher and parents and
teachers to develop, implement, and evaluate this program. The
goal of GEMS is to give young urban women a greater understanding of
complex problem solving while learning and using technology, science,
and mathematics.
Minneapolis schools involved in the GEMS program include
Anwatin, Bryn Mawr, Field, Green Central, West Harry David, Northeast,
Olson, Ramsey International Fine ARts, Seward Montessori, Sheridan,
and Shingle Creek, Pillsbury and Windom.
GEMS have worked on various
projects and presented their findings at the Science Museum of Minnesota,
the
Eye to the Future Career Conference, the Minnesota
State Fair, and to the Medtronic Corporation. Each fall, the GEMS
develop a robot and program it to perform different tasks in the MN
First Lego-Robotics Challenge sponsored by High
Tech Kids. From January through May they develop and use different
probes and medical devices to monitor and survey other middle schoolers
as to their health, or guild rockets, carbon dioxide cars or electronic
devices.
A districted GEMS summer program takes place annually
at Augsburg College. In the summer, this free science, mathematics,
and technology program brought together 120 middle school girls from
the Minneapolis Public Schools on Tuesdays and Thursdays to learn about
monarch butterfly research, developing robots and programming them to
do various tasks using Lego-Logo, and creating and developing e-musik.
During this summer program, undergraduate students from Augsburg College
work closely with science and technology teachers from Minneapolis public
schools to teach and facilitate student learning.
GEMS Leadership
Training at Lake Harriet,
Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 3, 2000.
Gems Mentors
participate in a teambuilding activity.
Ten mentors participate
in the GEMS Mentor program for young women in grades 9-12. These
mentors receive intensive summer leadership training to prepare them
for this role as a leader of a small group of middle school GEMS in
the following academic year.
Dr. Jeanine Gregoire from Augsburg College has been
involved with developing and conducting the GEMS leadership program
and GEMS overall program assessment, participant selection, program
fundraising, and co-coordination of the summer program.
Funding for the GEMS programs comes from the Medtronic
STAR Grants, Minneapolis Public Schools, NASA Space Grant, Best Buy
Foundation, Carolyn Foundation, ADC Fundation, and Lockhead Martin Coproration.
The GEMS program was presented at the American Association for the Advancement
of Science Conference in San Francisco, California, in February, 2001;
National Science Teacher Association Conferences in Orlando(200), Philadeophia
(2003) and Minneapolis (2003); and the National Middle School Association,
Minneapolis, (2004). For more infomation about the GEMS program, go
to www.mn-gems.com
