- Teresa Hernandez
- Sand Lake, MI
- United States
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A way for young women who are interested in science to find labs in nearby universities to do their research and test their ideas.
While watching this TED Talk, I was moved by the willingness of the first two presenters to contact over a hundred people asking them to help them test their hypothesis. Because I teach in a university, I was struck by how few people agreed. This made me think of the number of young women who maybe only contacted 99 and therefore never got a "yes." How can that be? This made me start thinking of how more universities might encourage high schools students in their communities to pursue their scientific questions.
If there was a sort of cyberconnection to help curious students who are innovating ideas to connect with scientists who had the labs and the resources to help the students test their ideas, students and ideas would flourish. What if, we could create a database of labs with the resources that students could access, then might this not allow for more learning and encourage young women to innovate?
Teresa Hernandez
So, let me think about this for a day or two and imagine how we could set up something where interested parties would be able to access the information. Just brainstorming here, I think it might start as a facebook group where people could join and post something about their interest, location and ideas and then scientists/labs could post what they are doing in their labs and the general type of equipments.
Let me take a look in the next few days and study the way groups are set up. It could also be as easy as just putting up a link and then the students could go look at the link. Doing research on storytelling one day I found a neuropsychologist who does MRIs on people listening and telling stories. I say this because that link was easy for me to access.
If you could, would you contact the young women and then I will do a little research on the groups and we will meet at the pass. Sound good? This is going to be fun! Thanks so much for getting involved. I think we can also talk to organizations about getting the word out. My mother was a physics professor and she belonged to a Physics organization who would have happily published information about this in a news letter. My sister teaches at the North Carolina School of Science and Math and she could get the word out to students and science teachers. So I think we can make this thing fly.
Crispin Pierce
Thanks for your enthusiastic reply. I have several Facebook pages, but am a bit of a loss as to how to set one up for the purpose envisioned. We need a searchable database to connect people rather than a normal Facebook streaming "conversation." Might we (you) contact one of the bright young women who gave Ted talks and stimulated this idea?
Best,
Crispin
Kat Haber 500+
Find excess bandwidth intergenerationally.
Link it. Strengthen scientific solution finding.
Mind map or use prezi to make a visual of what you need to make it happen.
Put the call out for specifics, create a timeline & budget, mentors will find you,
get giddy about your imagined world, laugh all the way to change.
Ashoka awarded 5 Technology for a Better World Winners this past year. They were all linked in some way to elders who had skills they had not yet mastered, but they found from them ways of changing their world using technology with their help. If a system were set up for a closer natural connection of those needing support and those who could offer it, you might change the world in a very big way. http://www.ashoka.org/story/youth-venture-and-best-buy-present-winners
Let TEDxHomer know when the change is made. We'll invite you to speak about your process and the new possibilities as a result of your idea.
At Houston, Texas
Teresa Hernandez
Crispin Pierce
Teresa Hernandez
Teresa Hernandez
If we continue to leave girls at the mercy of a society who (1) values them more for their looks and less for their brains and (2)gives them schools with restraints (by no fault of anyone) and teachers who are struggling simply to stay afloat with such large classes, we will end up with fewer and fewer of them understanding their value and their ability to become scientists and innovators. I am not really blaming anyone, but I am just saying, "Let's foster their desire." We are all connected and the whole of society benefits.
So, if you saw this talk and were struck by the fact that so few people responded, let's do something about it. Do you have a lab? Do you have some time to invest? Do you want to help build the minds of tomorrow? Are you a high school teacher with a kid who has ideas and no place to test them? Are you a computer programmer, librarian, anybody who has ideas of how to build the resource and connect people?
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Teresa Hernandez