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BEWiSE
Whodunit? Overnight
30 Apr 1999
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center |
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Preliminaries - The BEWiSE Program gets off the ground (8/98):
Participants in a brainstorming session recalled that the Fleet Science Center, for
several years, held a "Girls' Science Camp-In", a two-day/one-night event for 7th and 8th graders.
Girls were selected after evaluation of a two-page essay, a letter of recomendation from a teacher,
and a parental consent letter. There was no charge to the campers. Funds came from the San
Diego Science Educators Association but no funds were available now.
We decided that we should put this program back into place. Funds would be donated by
SDSA companies and women scientists and engineers would volunteer as instructors and role
models. We would accept 30 girls. A target date in the spring of 1999 for the first BEWiSE
Overnight was selected. We would take advantage of "Whodunt? The Science of Solving Crime"
and exhibit already planned to be in place at the Science Center. The girls would have to write a
one-page essay on either "What are your ideas about how Science or Engineering could be used to
solve a crime?" or "Describe how Science or Engineering may affect our lives in the future."
Lynne Kennedy, Director of Education at the Science Center, was our museum contact person.
Planning - Determining the details (Fall & Winter, 98-99):
Monetary commitments came from several companies and foundations.
(See About SDSA Page.)
Timetable:
- End of January: Flyers/Invitations/Applications go out to the girls through their science
teachers.
- March 12: Applications, essays, letters of recomendation from teachers, and parental
consent letters are due back.
- March 16: Evaluation and selection by us (the BEWISE steering committee).
- April 1: Acceptance or rejection letters go out to the girls.
- April 30 (6 pm) - May 1 (9 am): The Overnight Happens!
Schedule would be: An icebreaker activity, dinner, a keynote speaker, workshops, wrap-up, free
time in the museum, sleep, wake-up, breakfast, fill out evaluation forms, parent pick-up. Breakfast
(bagels, cream cheese, juice, milk, coffee, and paper products) was donated. Dinner and snacks
(chips & dip, salad, sandwiches, cookies, pop & water, nuts, raisins, candy) was purchased with
donated funds. Women scientists and engineers from SWE, NSBE, GWIS, AWIS, and SDSA
companies as well as members of the local student sections of SWE, etc. would volunteer.
Finalizing - Selecting the girls and firming-up the schedule (Late Winter
& Early Spring, 1999):
We received applications from over 120 girls
representing 30 schools so we decided to select one from each school.
* Keynote Speaker:
Nancy Vonasek Farrar, Chula Vista Police Dept. Crime Lab, on
Collecting and Preserving Samples from a Murder Scene.
* Workshop Speakers would be:
- Autumn Chapman, Microbiologist, on DNA Testing
- Deana Freeman, Forensic Student, on Footprint Identification
- Tori Heflin, San Diego Museum of Man, on Skeletal Identification
- Vivian Jackson, DEA, on Fingerprint Analysis
- Sue Lowery, USD Professor, on Chromatography
- Rashida Weathers, DEA, on Chemical Analysis.
Also: A poster and t-shirts were designed and printed.
Everyone (kids and adults) got a T-shirt. Students all got folders full of info. Nametags were
made. Lanyards for the nametags were purchased. The Web site was set up.
Photos:
