October 2006
Sally Ride Science Festival 2006!The 2006 Sally Ride science festival was a great success, with more than 500 fifth- through eighth-grade girls attending. The festival (held this September on U/M’s own North Campus), featured a talk by former astronaut Kathy Sullivan. Sullivan became an astronaut in 1979 and served on three missions, in 1984, 1990, and 1992. Sullivan logged a total of 532 space hours and was part of the crew that launched the Hubble Space Telescope. Attendees were also treated to Discovery Workshops given by local scientists and engineers. Topics included veterinary technology, weather, robots, the human nervous system, rockets, industry pacesetters and chemical engineering, among others. There were also workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support girls' interests in science and math, and a street fair with booths, hands-on activities, food, and music. Sally Ride Science was founded in 2001 by America’s first woman in space. Their goal is to “increase the number of girls who are technically literate and who have the foundation they need to go on in science, math, or engineering” (sallyridescience.com). This U/M festival was co-sponsored by Northrop Grumman Foundation, GlaxoSmithKline, Ford Motor Company, General Dynamics, Michigan Engineering, Dearborn Schools, and Stellar Solutions. More information about the Sally Ride Science Festivals can be found at www.sallyridefestivals.com.
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