School’s out and summer is finally here!

But did you know that students lose an average of one to two months of academic knowledge—primarily of science and math—over the summer holiday?

Although the books and calculators have been put away until the fall, summer opens the door to one of the best classrooms for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)—the great outdoors. It also affords parents the opportunity to be a part of their child’s learning experience while enjoying quality family time. Here are a few fun (and budget friendly!) ways to incorporate STEM in common summer activities:

“I grew up in a very big family in a very small house,” says Lydia Villa-Komaroff. That house was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where few Mexican-American kids like herself were lucky to even finish high school. But Villa-Komaroff knew from a young age that she wanted to become a scientist. She remembers when she was nine, hearing her uncle talking about his work as a chemist and deciding that this sounded like the career for her. “All children are scientists, but… I think it gets lost because people forget about the excitement and the joy of discovery,” she says. “I wanted to continue to explore things, take them apart, put them back together.”

 The core of Rosie Riveters’ programs is a project-based, after-school curriculum for girls aged 4-14 (grades pre-K-8) that is open to the public and is completely free of charge. Each of the twelve sessions of our 4-week program features:

• an interactive overview of a STEM concept (density, circuits, chemical reactions, etc.);
• a tangible and hands-on project that explores that concept;
• exploration of real-world careers associated with the above project through interaction with mentors.

Support and Volunteers sponsored in part by:

 

Interested in sponsoring a Rosie Riveters Project?

Since our pilot program in February 2016, Rosie Riveters has served over 250 children in Northern Virginia. We are constantly seeking new opportunities to provide girls with the confidence to try and succeed in STEM. If you are interested in bringing a Rosie Riveters program to your community please email: info@rosieriveters.com. 

As a small non-profit, our programs are funded on a project-by-project basis. It takes $6,920 to cover the costs of supplies, teachers, and programming logistics for each 4-week program that we offer, which means that on average, each Rosie Riveters project that a participant completes costs approximately $50 to deliver.

Support Rosie Riveters by making a donation of $25, $50, $100, $250 or $500 here: https://rosieriveters.nationbuilder.com/donate. 

Rosie Riveters is a registered 501(c)(3); all donations are tax deductible.

To stay up-to-date about future programs and receive first notice when registration opens, please click here to receive our monthly newsletter. 

Rosie Riveters' mission is to provide a fun space for girls ages 4-14 to imagine, create, and play while developing their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our organization is built on the premise that innovation is cultivated where experimentation is encouraged; that failure is not in conflict with success, but a necessary and crucial part of it. Through hands-on STEM projects our hope is to not only encourage girls to be strong, confident, and competent in STEM, but to keep them engaged through mentorship programs and network building. 

We invite you to join us on our journey as we seek to empower girls in STEM!

Our organization is inspired by and named after Rosie the Riveter, the symbol of the women who stepped up and stepped in to take on previously male-dominated roles in factories and heavy industry when men left their jobs to fight in WWII.  While widespread cultural references encouraged women to undertake such work (a song, promotional film, an image by Norman Rockwell, etc.), it was artist J. Howard Miller’s representation of Rosie the Riveter on the “We Can Do It” poster he designed for the Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company in 1942 that has become the iconic image of Rosie the Riveter and her can-do attitude.  As an organization, we aim to inspire girls to take a similar “We Can Do It” approach to STEM, and hope you will support girls in STEM by funding our modern adaptation of the symbol that, some argue, changed a generation.

Rosie Riveters, a new STEM non-profit in Arlington, is currently seeking mentors with active careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to speak with girls from the ages of 4-14 about their journey into their chosen profession as well as their day-to-day experiences. 

A little bit about us: Rosie Riveters' mission is to provide a fun space for girls ages 4-14 to imagine, create, and play while developing their skills in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Our organization is built on the premise that innovation is cultivated where experimentation is encouraged; that failure is not in conflict with success, but a necessary and crucial part of it. Through hands-on STEM projects our hope is to not only encourage girls to be strong, confident, and competent in STEM, but to keep them engaged through mentorship programs and network building. 

Methods of Mentoring

• Face-to Face (in person or via video conference)- Join us at the end of a project session to discuss your position and experiences. 
• Pre-Record- Participate in a pre-recorded interview to discuss your position and experiences. 

We ask mentors to speak for 15 minutes (usually around 5:30pm), provide students with their business cards and encourage participants to follow up with them after the session with their questions. The intention is to teach participants the skills of networking, relationships and the importance of follow up.*

Join us on our journey to inspire girls with the “confidence to try”. Apply below.

* Please Note: All mentor positions require a set of skills, an application and an interview. All mentors must consent to a background check.

Katherine Johnson said: "My dad taught us 'you are as good as anybody in this town, but you're no better.' I don't have a feeling of inferiority. Never had. I'm as good as anybody, but no better."

But probably a lot smarter. She was a "computer" at Langley Research Center "when the computer wore a skirt," said Johnson. More important, she was living out her life's goal, though, when it became her goal, she wasn't sure what it involved.

Posted by Brittany Greer · October 25, 2018 3:23 PM

Meet Hope, a Rosie Riveter! 

Posted by Casey Huerta · July 06, 2018 2:00 PM

Microsoft Technology Center Day of FUN!

Posted by Brittany Greer · August 24, 2016 10:11 PM

What is Cookies and Confidence?

Cookies & Confidence is a fundraising event for Rosie Riveters where families with kids of all ages can participate in an interactive, STEM based project, while eating sweet treats and meeting new friends. 

Throw your own Cookies and Confidence playdate!

Cookies and Confidence is a great way to catch up and/or meet new friends while doing something charitable as you can simply host your playdate at home, invite all your friends, enjoy a fun activity and eat cookies!

How do I host my own Cookies and Confidence playdate?

1. Invite everyone - Get all your family, friends, colleagues and neighbors together. You can ask them to come using the really quick and simple e-invitations provided with the Cookies and Confidence kit or by sharing your event on Facebook.

2. Ask for a donation - Ask your guests to make a donation for the cookies and STEM activity. You can also raise money by playing games and raffles.
3. Organize your activity - We have a number of low-cost and easy to deliver STEM projects you can organize at home. Reach out to us at info@rosieriveters.com and we will send you a copy of our Cookies & Confidence event guide. 
4. Make it look lovely - Bake your yummiest cookies or buy them! Print off cookie cards to let your guests know the flavor of each one. Put posters up and make your Cookies & Confidence playdate venue look lovely. We Can Do It!

If I host a Cookies & Confidence playdate how do I pay in the donations?

You can submit your donations online via https://www.rosieriveters.com/cookies_and_confidence_donation.

Interested?

E-mail us at info@rosieriveters.com and we will send you the Cookies and Confidence event guide featuring a fun STEM activity, e-invites, cookie cards and posters.