
Building
solar-powered
boats,
designing
wind
turbines,
creating
at-home
compost
stations,
and
assembling
a
model
rain
barrel
are
some
of
the
hands-on
projects
that
girls
from
Fred
M.
Lynn
and
Potomac
Middle
Schools
participated
in
during
a
seven-week
workshop
aimed
at
presenting
lessons
about
renewable
energy,
sustainability,
and
careers
in
science,
technology,
engineering,
art,
and
math
(STEAM).
The
workshop
was
funded
by
a
grant
from
Dominion
Energy
and
awarded
to
Pink
Space
Theory
to
implement.
Jessica
Doiron,
the
center
for
environmental
and
natural
sciences
coordinator
at
Freedom
High
School,
applied
for
the
grant,
then
coordinated
the
workshop
with
Pink
Space
Theory,
a
nonprofit
organization
dedicated
to
connecting
underserved
and
underrepresented
youth,
especially
girls,
to
hands-on
STEAM
learning
opportunities.
Students
attended
virtually
and
in-person
for
an
hour
and
a
half
once
per
week.
At
one
of
the
in-person
sessions,
students
met
at
Potomac
Middle
to
build
and
test
model
wind
turbines.
During
other
sessions,
students
were
provided
with
materials
and
met
virtually
to
build
a
model
rain
barrel
and
a
solar-powered
boat.
"The
workshop
is
important
because
there
continues
to
be
a
lack
of
women
STEAM
careers
in
our
country.
Exposing
these
middle
school
girls
to
hands-on,
project-based
learning
opportunities
and
career
opportunities
in
STEAM
will
help
these
girls
see
the
long-term
value
of
STEAM
programs.
In
addition,
the
workshop
is
aimed
at
increasing
participants'
knowledge
of
the
importance
of
green
energy
and
environmental
stewardship,"
Doiron
explained.
Workshop
participants
also
learned
valuable
lessons
such
as
how
to
look
at
difficult
and
challenging
experiences
from
a
different
perspective
and
how
to
turn
losses
into
wins
and
opportunities.
These
lessons
were
based
on
the
book
"Sometimes
You
Win
--
Sometimes
You
Learn,"
by
renowned
leadership
author
John
C.
Maxwell.
Miriam
Redmer,
a
sixth
grader
at
Potomac
Middle,
said,
"The
Girl
Power
program
has
really
encouraged
me
to
follow
my
dreams
no
matter
what
obstacles
might
be
in
my
way."
Community
partners,
including
Keep
Prince
William
Beautiful,
Friends
of
the
Occoquan,
Project
Learning
Tree,
Lifeline
Coach,
and
George
Mason
University,
also
helped
with
the
workshop.