The Ohio Supercomputer Center today announced the names of 15 elementary and middle school girls from six Ohio counties competitively chosen to attend the 2009 Young Women’s Summer Institute.
Young Women’s Summer Institute is an innovative, weeklong summer program conducted by the Ohio Supercomputer Center on the campus of The Ohio State University in Columbus. YWSI supports the state’s efforts in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education. YWSI was created to encourage young women to take an interest in math and science, ultimately helping to remedy women’s low participation in the fields of science and technology.
During the week of July 26-Aug. 1, teachers will supervise YWSI participants on field trips to the Big Darby watershed and other locations. The girls will take part in practical and fun projects, learning about Ohio watersheds using the latest computer technology. OSC believes that active learning experiences for this age group can and will make a significant difference in their futures.
“The girls chosen to attend this year’s Young Women’s Summer Institute have shown exemplary comprehension in all areas of their schooling,” said Shannon Schraegle, YWSI co-director. “This summer program is taking the initiative to help train these girls to join Ohio’s next generation of professionals in the fields of science and technology.”
Through a longitudinal study conducted in 2004 and annual surveys, YWSI girls have enthusiastically said that they learned a great deal and most would recommend the program to their friends. One girl commented in her final program evaluation, “I had a great week. I learned a lot, and I had a blast! Everyone was great, and if I could go back to this camp again I would. Keep up with this program so others can have this amazing experience!”
Five teachers selected for the program also will benefit by gaining practical experience in project-based teaching, use real data to teach and conduct research, and learn to effectively integrate technology into classroom activities.
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(EDITORS: More information on YWSI is available at http://www.osc.edu/ywsi.
The following list, arranged by last name, identifies the students and teachers selected for participation in YWSI.
Participating girls:
| Name | School | Grade |
| Jasjit Butalia | Karrer Middle School | 7 |
| Mary Carson | Hilliard Memorial Middle School | 7 |
| Elizabeth Chiu | Evening Street Elementary | 6 |
| Melanie Cohn | Chardon Middle School | 6 |
| Valerie Du | Columbus School for Girls | 6 |
| Lydia Gray | Willis Intermediate School | 6 |
| Laura Hagy | Hilliard Memorial Middle School | 7 |
| Natalie Hagy | Hilliard Memorial Middle School | 7 |
| Abigail Jewell | New Richmond Middle School | 7 |
| Hannah Naguib | Columbus School for Girls | 7 |
| Katherine Perry | Willis Intermediate School | 6 |
| Kaitlynn Sandstrom | Westfall Middle School | 6 |
| Lindsey Siegfried | Terrace Park Elementary | 6 |
| Drew Taylor | Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy | 6 |
| Brittany Williams | Licking Heights Central | 7 |
Participating teachers:
| Luna Alsharaiha | St. Michael School |
| Katie Hendrickson | N/A |
| Laura Kramer | Calumet Christian |
| Jenny Lang | Alexander Local Schools |
| Margaret Porter | Sheridan Middle School |
Celebrating over 20 years of service, the Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) is a catalytic partner of Ohio universities and industries that provides a reliable high performance computing and high performance networking infrastructure for a diverse statewide/regional community including education, academic research, industry, and state government. OSC promotes and stimulates computational research and education in order to act as a key enabler for the state's aspirations in advanced technology, information systems, and advanced industries. For additional information, visit http://www.osc.edu.
