Collaboration, as an interactive process, enables professionals across projects and communities to generate and carry out creative solutions and strategies that maximize benefit beyond that which one project or community could accomplish. This model includes a number of strategic activities that provide value and incentives to encourage organizations and individuals to work together and to use the leverage of a network or collaboration of individual girl-serving STEM programs to create the tipping point for gender equity in STEM.

Maine Kick-Off Conference Report

The Maine Girls Collaborative Project held its kick-off conference on October 10, 2008, at the University of Maine. With more than 80 people in attendance, a wide variety of sectors and all geographic parts of the state were represented. Dr. Amy Arnett, environmental scientist at Unity College and Fulbright Scholar, delivered the keynote address. A panel presentation provided context for discussions among participants. Most of the day was devoted to describing the various resources and tools of the National Girls Collaborative Project, and providing opportunities for the participants to network and strategize plans to develop collaborative partnerships. The first round of Maine mini-grant proposals is now active, and the Maine Girls Collaborative Project has up to $10,000 to distribute in this cycle.

Texas Regional Fall Forums

The Texas Girls Collaborative Project welcomes participants from K-12 and higher education institutions, industry, not-for-profit and informal learning organizations, museums, and government agencies from across the state to join us at one of four remaining Regional Fall Forums. Register for these forums.

NGCP in The Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering

NGCP webcasts will be taking December and January off, returning on February 11th, 2009.

All previous NGCP webcasts are archived and accessible on the NGCP Web site. Webcasts have focused on a variety of topics relevant to girls in STEM, including engaging girls in STEM, applying for NGCP mini-grants, and reaching underserved populations in STEM.

Two previous NGCP webcasts focused on strategies for evaluating girl-serving STEM programs:

• September 2007: Good Assessment = Success: Developing Assessment Based Outreach.
• April 2008: Using the Data: How to Plan, Develop and Use Program Evaluation to Build a Better Program.

These presentations include valuable information, resources, and program examples to help anyone interested in improving their evaluation efforts. Visit the webcast archives to view the presentations.