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The American Association of University Women estimates that about 28% of professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math, also called STEM, are women. But in one Native American community teachers are working to get girls involved in the sciences. VOA's Virginia Gunawan reports from Tucson, Arizona.
Content TypePackage
LanguageEnglish
Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: (TV) Taking Up Space - Gunawan
HEADLINE: Taking Up Space teaches Native American Girls STEM
TEASER: Girls lose interest in science after middle school, declining more after high school.
PUBLISHED AT: 05/05/2023 at 9:30am
BYLINE: Virginia Gunawan
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Tucson, Arizona
VIDEOGRAPHER: Rere Wahyudi, Supriyono
VIDEO EDITOR: Virginia Gunawan
SCRIPT EDITORS: KEnochs; Jepsen
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, Taking Up Space
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:11
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:
((INTRO))
[[The American Association of University Women estimates that about 28% of professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math, also called STEM, are women. But in one Native American community teachers are working to get girls involved in the sciences. VOA's Virginia Gunawan reports from Tucson, Arizona.]]
((NARRATOR))
A simple experiment replicates how a rocket blasts off.
((Czarina Salido, Taking Up Space Founder and Program Director))
"…Put the tablets in there and then you close it and when the water mixes with the tablets, it creates pressure… "
((NARRATOR))
This is one of the experiments Czarina Salido teaches to girls from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Tucson, Arizona. In 2016, Salido founded Taking Up Space, a 36-week program focusing on teaching Native American girls about subjects from math to physics.
((Czarina Salido, Taking Up Space Founder and Program Director))
"We make sure that not only are we learning STEM and science, but we also go back and learn a little bit about the culture, too, so different girls have different tribes. And so we learn a little bit about stories like we have storytellers come on from different tribes."
((NARRATOR))
She has taught girls from other parts of Arizona, along with ((courtesy Taking Up Space)) New Mexico, Colorado, Minnesota, and Alaska. ((end courtesy)) Salido has noticed that while many girls start out being interested in STEM, this often fades when they get older.
((Czarina Salido, Taking Up Space Founder and Program Director))
"So by the time they're right in that middle school age, they don't want to do science anymore, so we get them like a little bit before junior high, like nine 10, before they hit that crucial point at 12 when they just either completely drop out or don't care about it anymore."
((NARRATOR))
Senerika, who only gave VOA her first name, is one of the youngest participants.
((Senerika, Participant from Pascua Yaqui Tribe))
"Because you learn different things about it, and you could learn the things that you did not know."
((NARRATOR)) ((courtesy Taking Up Space))
At the end of the program, students went to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama. To fund the trip, which costs around two thousand dollars per student, the community held a fundraiser at a local restaurant.
((End courtesy))
((Stephen Dunn, The Delta Owner))
"…Taking Up Space just kind of made sense for us because it did work with young girls on the reservation, giving opportunities to learn about math and science and also maybe a chance to go to space camp."
((NARRATOR))
This experience at space camp, Salido hopes, will encourage her girls to continue their pursuit of STEM professions.
((From Tucson, Virginia Gunawan, VOA news.))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Tucson, Arizona
Embargo DateMay 5, 2023 09:34 EDT
BylineVirginia Gunawan
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
