Motivating girls to get into STEM

"It's young people like you that make me so confident that America's best days are still to come," President Barack Obama said as he addressed the young scientists assembled at the White House. President Obama's address was delivered via video.

It's April 24, and a crowd of mostly girls and some adults gathered at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Building to attend the "Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)" event. 

Four amazing and inspirational women were the panelists at the event: Dr. Cady Coleman, NASA Astronaut and Colonel; Jocelyn Goldfein, Facebook's Director of Engineering; Bianca Bailey, resident of Howard University's Chapter of Engineers Without Borders; and Jean Hernandez, President of Edmonds Community College Jean Hernandez.

The four women shared their experiences and knowledge to motivate young girls to pursue a STEM careers, jobs in which women are traditionally under-represented. They also answered questions from the audience and the listeners on the Internet. Other people who voiced their encouragement and support were the 2012 White House Science Fair participants. They also spoke to the group at the STEM event through video. And they all voiced in support for girls to excel at a field in STEM careers. 

"What I would say to all people — especially girls — who are interested in STEM activities is that you should do it," one participant said.

"Just go out there and get to work and do it," another competitor added. "I mean, there are infinite possibilities. You could do anything you want. Being a woman doesn't matter with anything." 

"When I was a kid I asked a lot of 'why' questions, and I found that science and math usually were the coolest answers to all of my 'why' questions," an attendee said.

In an interview with the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps, Dr. Coleman said that empowering curious young minds — especially women and minorities — is the only way to continue our progress.

"STEM is going to be a part of everyday life," Dr. Coleman said. "You're going to need it to become a citizen of the planet. If they're hard for you, then just realize that you might have to spend a little more time on it, but they're very necessary."

For more of my interview with Dr. Cady Coleman, check out the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Alexandra Zhang

Photo: Kid Reporter Alexandra Zhang interviews astronaut Dr. Cady Coleman at the White House on April 24. (Photo courtesy White House)

World of Work Revealed

If there is any day that you can actually know and understand what your parents do at work, it has to be "Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day" at the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C., or the IMF.

"This is a special day where parents invite you, their daughters and sons, to where they go to work every day," Ms. Christine Legarde, the Managing Director/"big big boss" at the IMF, said as she addressed an anticipating crowd of kids. "This is the first time, and I am really looking forward to this."

Today, April 26, 2012, was the IMF's first day reserved for kids. There were programs printed out, decorations on the walls, offices transformed into daycares for the younger kids, and conference rooms reserved for the older ones. "There are lots of people that do all sorts of different jobs," said Ms. Legarde. "You will hear the economists, nurses, security officers, cooks, kindergarten staff, lawyers, accountants, secretaries, computer experts, video experts, cinematographers — we have the whole range of jobs you can think of."

In my mom's department in the IMF, the OIA, or the Office of Internal Audit, there were 13 kids in total. Nine of them were 2 to 6 years old, and four of them (including me) were 7 to 12 years old. That amount of kids, however, was nothing compared to amount of kids from all the departments.

In total, there were about 500 kids in all of the branches in the IMF. All of us gathered at 8:30 in the morning in a huge conference hall for breakfast, but still not everyone could fit, so they ended up having the adults stand along both sides of the wall so all the kids could have a place to sit.

After breakfast, all the kids split up, according to their parents' respective departments, and to their floor. I, along with three other kids in the OIA, met up in a very professional looking — complete with the chairs — conference room and discussed what the OIA was like with the Deputy Director of the department, Mr. Daniel Nelson. He talked to us about what the OIA does, what the IMF is about, how it started, how the internal auditors get chosen, and the different jobs in the IMF.

Following the "lecture,” we got to interview some of the OIA staff about what they do at work. We interviewed four staff members: Ms. Stephanie Reisinger, Ms. Bee Lim, Mr. Leo Croppo, and the Director of the OIA, Mr. Russell Kincaid. When asked about what they liked most about working in the OIA – besides being the "police" making sure all departments of IMF follow proper rules — most said that they like the people in the department, and the amount of travel (they all said that they traveled too much in previous jobs/departments).

As a special treat to end the day, my mom took all four of us to an ice-cream shop in D.C., called the Cone-e-Island. What a perfect end, right? Not really. When we came back, everyone was sugar high and everyone except for my mom and I started bouncing off the wall.

Today was a really fun day! I learned a lot and had a lot of fun at the same time.

—Kid Reporter Alexandra Zhang

Photo: Christine Legarde, the Managing Director of the IMF, welcomes kids to Take Your Sons and Daughters to work day at the IMF. (Courtesy Alexandra Zhang)

Election 2012: A Pennsylvania primary without Santorum

When Rick Santorum ended his race for the Republican presidential nomination two weeks ago, he left no one behind. At least, that's what it seems like. Before the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, I tried reaching someone — anyone — at his campaign headquarters in Verona, Pennsylvania. No one was there — or, at least, no one answered the phone.

Voters, too, seemed to have moved on. Pennsylvania is Santorum's home state, he was a United States Senator here for 12 years, and he was expected to give Mitt Romney a challenging race here. But before the election, many primary voters expressed they would not vote for  Santorum, even though he was still on the ballot. At the polls yesterday, one voter commented, "We need a fresh alternative to Rick Santorum." Another said, "I might vote for Rick. He is a viable candidate."

Santorum had a strong showing in Pennsylvania, all things considered. He finished second with 18.3 percent of the vote. Romney won the state with 58 percent of the vote, but Santorum finished ahead of the two other candidates still in the race, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich.

Santorum's exit from the presidential race earlier this month was abrupt. He was second in delegates, and he needed some big wins to challenge Romney. But he could have taken his delegates to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, and given Romney a greater challenge to the nomination. Some say he left the race because his family came first, and that is very sensible. Others believe he is a man conviction, and he could be a strong candidate for Vice President.

But right now, all we know is many Pennsylvania Republicans have moved on from Rick Santorum's surprising run at the nomination. Who knows? Maybe he'll make another charge in 2016.

For more on the Pennsylvania primary, check out Kid Reporter Katelyn Barr's story about voters in the state. And for the results of the Pennylvania primary, check out the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website! 

—Kid Reporter Matthew Moore

A visit with Lady Liberty

David Denham, park ranger at Liberty Island National Park, is, if there ever was, a man of knowledge. Sporting a teal tie, beige hat, and a gold park ranger badge, Denham is a factual mastermind when it comes to the Statue of Liberty. When I arrived on the ferry, Denham greeted me with a smile and we were off on our whirlwind tour. It was my first time ever visiting “Lady Liberty” — the closest I had ever come before was seeing it from the Staten Island ferry — but now I was right next to it, walking closer and closer to it alongside Park Ranger Denham.

One of the most interesting things that I learned is that the Statue of Liberty is filled with symbols. Every part of the statue has a meaning - its moving foot, its crown’s seven spikes, and even the torch itself. The statue’s foot, which appears to be moving, symbolizes the movement and progress of the country; the seven spikes of the crown represent the seven seas and continents, and the torch stands for enlightenment.

Denham began from the beginning of the Statue’s history, telling a story of how the statue came to be. One of the most interesting parts of this story involves Gustave Eiffel, who engineered the Statue. Eiffel, hmm, sound familiar? Yep, Gustave Eiffel later became famous for the Eiffel Tower.  When he tried to find a way to support the copper lady, Eiffel had the idea to fill the inside with a structure that is practically a model of the famous Parisian tower. It perfectly held up the Statue. 

We continued to walk beside the statue until we got to the perfect spot, in which we where centered in front of the statue. Before us was the green lady, her gazing eyes looked into the distance, and we observed her.

On a windy day the island was still crowded, but even that powerful wind didn’t budge the statue one bit. Still, Denham knows that there’s more to the strong metal structure inside the statue. For him, the statue is filled with history as well.

Denham’s admiration and respect was evident. A brilliant park ranger who knows everything there is to know about one of the world’s greatest landmarks, Denham also knows that it’s much more than a simple tourist attraction.

With awe in his voice, Denham spoke with admiration. 

“She’s a beauty,” he said.

Check out my interviews with Ellis Island Park Ranger Katharine Crane and the Superintendent of Ellis Island and Liberty Island (which includes the Statue of Liberty), David Luchsinger!  

—Kid Reporter Fred Hechinger

Photo: Kid Reporter Fred Hechinger with Park Ranger David Denham in front of the Statue of Liberty. (Photo: Dante A. Ciampaglia)

Seeing New York through the eyes of a tourist

Roughly eight million people live in New York City, and each year the city is visited by nearly 50 million more. That’s about six times the number of people who live here, and it turns out that most of them have very different experiences from residents. For example, they take tour buses, crowd Times Square, go to the top of the Empire State Building, and take ferries to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. And while I have often found myself in or traveling through Times Square in the 12 years I’ve lived here – it’s difficult to avoid, no matter what you’re doing – I’ve never been inside the Empire State Building, and until recently I’d never been to the Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island. As part of Scholastic’s Virtual Field Trip to Ellis Island, I was able to make a real trip there, and I finally had the same experience that thousands of visitors from around the country and around the rest of the world have each day. I walked through the halls of the history enriched immigration museum, as well as standing feet away from 151-foot tall green lady.

As I sailed back across New York harbor on the ferry, I wondered what had stopped me from making this visit earlier. And then I wondered: do Philadelphians go to visit the Liberty Bell? Do Parisians climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower? Do Cairo’s residents visit the Great Pyramids? 

It made me realize that tourists experience a place in a completely different way from the people who live there. And while there are many New York tourist destinations that I’ve never been to, there are others, like the Museum of Modern Art, that I go to all the time. But for me, many of the treasures of New York are more personal. They may be less famous but, to me, they’re no less special. They are “my” favorite places to go, “my” spots in Central Park, “my” neighborhood taco truck. I know that I’ll likely hear some of my favorite musicians, depending on which subway stop I go to. Or I could be anywhere and hear some of the most outrageous conversations or bizarre interactions between people.

The tourists have their must-see destinations, as they should, and I have mine, but it’s obvious that we’d both benefit from some crossover. I’m sure that they’d enjoy some of what I consider to be my New York, even if it isn’t as famous as theirs. And I know that I’ll be making a trip to the Empire State Building soon — to see what all the fuss is about.

Check out my interviews with Ellis Island Park Ranger Katharine Crane and the Superintendent of Ellis Island and Liberty Island (which includes the Statue of Liberty), David Luchsinger! 

—Kid Reporter Fred Hechinger

Photo: The Statue of Liberty (Photo: Dante A. Ciampaglia)

 

Earth Day 2012: Coyotes, endangered skunks, and homemade compost

Back in March, I attended the Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair, which was held at the L.A. Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. I was there to meet up with my fellow reporter Miranda to interview Adrienne Bermingham from Dr. Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots organization.

When we arrived, we were greeted by a flock of peacocks walking freely around the grassy patches. Adrienne was really nice. She told us how Roots & Shoots was a program that encourages kids and teens to come up with their own solutions to environmental problems. Roots & Shoots is all about the kids coming up with their own ideas to help endangered species and environment problems. She took us for a walkthrough tour where we met an endangered white skunk and even a coyote! There were chinchillas, turtles, and a giant Flemish rabbit, which is the world's largest kind. He weighed 13 pounds! I also got to learn how to make your own compost and plant seeds in it.

After the tour, we went to a hands on workshop where we formed groups with other kids and they gave us some supplies made out of recyclables and we had to build a prototype of something to help solve the problem of invaders into the sewage system. Invaders called "invasive species," like unwanted mosquitos and other bacteria, cause problems and damage to ecosystems. It was fun to come up with something on our own. 

The best thing I learned was that it is easy for us to make a big difference. 

If you want to get involved it is as easy as going to the Roots & Shoots website!

Watch the interview Miranda and I did with Adrienne on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Damien Murphy 

Earth Day 2012: Kids Making the Change

Roots & Shoots is a branch of the Jane Goodall Institute that encourages kids and teens around the world to take action and make the world a better place to live. At the Los Angeles Environmental Education Fair in March, representatives from Roots & Shoots demonstrated just how easy it is for kids to come up with solutions to important environmental issues.

Kids and teens grouped into teams to work on a model invention that would be judged by a pretend investor. The assignment was to take the materials provided for us and create a model of an invention that would help stop invasive species in the Los Angeles River. The materials ranged from tape and markers to boxes and plastic lids.

The first step was to understand the problem. We found information about invasive species and used our knowledge of biology to come up with ideas on how to stop them. Once we had our ideas, the groups worked together to build models of them. 

My group was very creative, and I believe our project was awesome. We decided to tackle invasive species that are plants, and our idea was to use special chemicals and machinery to stop them and help the indigenous species grow. It was a fun experience getting to know the people I was working with. Our project didn’t win, but the cool projects that did went on to be recorded on video and shown in schools across the country.

Working on the projects taught us all that solving environmental problems isn’t as hard as it seems. We’re going to be the next generation responsible for the environment, and it's time to step up and become problem solvers.

If you want to get involved it is as easy as going to the Roots & Shoots website!

Watch the interview Damien and I did with Adrienne on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website!

—Kid Reporter Miranda Rector

My Interview with Dr. Jane Goodall

Dr. Jane Goodall's name was still fresh in my mind when I first got an email from my editor asking if I would be available for an interview. Just one week before, Dr. Goodall had been the subject of a class conversation.

My classmates and I were to complete an essay discussing the scientific achievements men and women have made in society. Dr. Goodall was one of the scientists we were required to research and discuss.

When I got the message of an opportunity to interview Dr. Goodall, I knew it would be a chance of a lifetime. 

The weekend before my interview, my teacher let me borrow a copy of Dr. Goodall's book, Reason for Hope. I hoped to learn more about her life to better prepare myself to speak to her.

The day before the interview, I prepared the camera, microphone, press pad, questions, tape recorder, and laptop. My interview was in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, about three hours from my home near Detroit. 

The next morning, I met with Dr. Goodall in her hotel lobby. Accompanied with her scheduler and her toy monkey, Mr. H, she greeted me as other hotel guests and employees looked on, surprised to see such a famous face.   After taking a good look at the lobby, Dr. Goodall politely requested that we go up to her hotel room. 

During the elevator ride, I asked Dr. Goodall how she felt to be in Michigan. She expressed concern of the farms she saw on her car ride to the hotel, claiming that most of the farms likely used pesticides. It proved her dedication to the environment.

I set up the camera and microphone and ran a quick audio check. Dr. Goodall waited patiently, placing Mr. H on her bed. 

Mr. H is treated like royalty around Dr. Goodall. He was a gift from Gary Haun, a blind magician who lost his sight in the U.S. Marines. When Haun thought he was giving Goodall a chimp, she handed him the tail.

Since then, Mr. H has been to 53 countries and has been touched by more than 2.5 million people.

I could tell Goodall was passionate by the way she spoke. Her tranquil yet powerful voice proved that she was speaking from her heart. 

At the end of the interview, Dr. Goodall offered some advice.

"You guys who do the news, who talk to people, you have a huge responsibility and a vast influence, so you use it wisely."

Watch the rest of my interview with Dr. Jane Goodall on the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps website.

 

—Kid Reporter Charlie Kadado

Photo: Kid Reporter Charlie Kadado with Dr. Jane Goodall and Mr. H after their interview in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. (Courtesy Charlie Kadado)