DOINews: Reclamation: Pacific Northwest Region Staff Participate in Seventh Annual Women in Math and Science Event at University of Idaho in Boise

On April 8, Pacific Northwest Region Staff with the Bureau of Reclamation participated in the seventh annual Women in Math and Science Day program hosted by the University of Idaho in Boise. There were more than 70 students in grades seventh and eighth in attendance. The girls were divided into three groups and rotated through three hands-on activities.

Women in Math and Science Day is a unique program designed to encourage young women to enter Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics careers and to introduce them to women who have chosen those careers themselves.

This year, the three hands-on activities were the Avalanche Board, Stream Table and Build a Project.

The Avalanche Board activity helped students to understand avalanches as a natural hazard in alpine environments. The students conducted avalanche experiments using flour, sugar and mash potatoes to simulate snow packs on a board.

The Stream Table demonstration showed the importance of rivers, how they are part of the Earth's water cycle, and how they are responsible for sculpting the Earth's topography as they carry large quantities of water and sediment from land to sea.

For the Build a Project activity, the students were divided into several groups. Each group had to construct an object with the available material and a photograph of what it should look like. The material consisted of an assortment of fasteners, gears, and miniature beam structures. This activity focused on a lot of team work and communication.

Reclamation has participated in this program for the past several years. It is a good way to give back, encourage young women to pursue studies in mathematics and sciences and talk about what Reclamation has to offer.

By: Bureau of Reclamation

May 13, 2014

Learn more about Reclamation's efforts to engage youth at http://www.usbr.gov/youth/.