 Story
by Becca,
As a 14-year-old girl, I often get giggles and I'm told that wanting
to be an astronaut is a "boys job." I still don't understand
why. Old stereotypes seem to still define women in many areas. And
I have found that young girls gravitate to what they have been exposed
to. In my area, it's usually dance lessons. There isn't much more
than that for girls from about four to ten years old. Most of my
little neighbors spend their days twirling around in their leotards.
No wonder they don't see all the possibilities that Dr. Sally Ride
and other pioneering women have opened up to them. What good are
all these doors if we aren't willing to step through them? Girls
need to be exposed to all the many opportunities that are available
to them when they are very young and are beginning to create their
own sense of self. In my area, there weren't many options for these
girls. I wondered if I could be someone who could change that for
them.
Being a scientific type of chick, I decided to do an experiment.
I wondered if my little leotard clad neighbors would take to science
related activities if they were given the opportunity. I invited
them one Saturday afternoon to a girls-only "Space Camp"
in our backyard. With a mix of razzle-dazzle experiments and space
related arts and crafts, I quickly saw that my hypothesis was right.
For weeks after this event, I was finding hand drawn solar systems
and space ships on my front porch; gifts from my young neighbors.
Word spread and other parents of girls in my area started begging
for me to repeat the opportunity.
Today. Tomorow.
The future. Your future.
You.
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