St. Andrew HS for Girls - Science Lab 4 Campaign

The Campaign aims to raise USD$25,000 for the renovation of Lab 33 (also called Lab 4 because it is the fourth in this capital improvement project), one of the main labs at St. Andrew High School for Girls (SAHS) in Kingston, Jamaica.

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Today, September 21, 2015, St. Andrew High School for Girls celebrates 90 years of providing high quality education to Jamaica’s girls.  Today, the newly renovated Lab 4 and the main science block will be reopened and christened the Mary Dawson Science Block.  Mary Dawson was St. Andrew’s 3rd principal and was instrumental in expanding science offerings for students throughout her time at St. Andrew.  Thank you to Jamaican corporate sponsors like Guardian Life and to the donors to the Lab 4 and science block renovation efforts, including the many donors to the Lab 4 Crowdfunding campaign (which raised USD$31,000), for helping to make the Lab 4 renovation happen and for ensuring that current and future students at St. Andrew have the facilities to learn, discover, and be curious...because girls in science matter!

[IMAGE CREDIT: St. Andrew High School for Girls] Pictured above is Guardian Life VP Glendon Gordon presenting a $250,000 cheque for the completion of Lab 4! Receiving the cheque is Science Department Head Franklin Burrell and SAHS Foundation board members Jessica Jones and Dr. Deanna Ashley. Also pictured are Grade 13 (Sixth Form) Environmental Science students: Jadini Thomas, Dominique Ramsay, and Kameron Lindo.

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[Testimonial] Camille Bryan '98/'00

I am currently a Building Surveyor and 3D Laser Scan Tech in Canada. My first love in science was biology. I loved learning about the workings of the heart and the mechanisms of a plant. Then there was Chemistry, where Mr. Lawson taught how construct an organic equation and how reactive pure sodium gets in plain air. My interests took me elsewhere, but science at St Andrew developed my questioning mind.The campaign is important because ... these girls are positioned to make breakthroughs and contribute to Jamaica as well as the world; but it begins with the nurturing of the questioning mind and SAHS needs help in creating the right environment for the girls, and help with keeping pace with the evolution in methods and technology in science. Support our efforts: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter/mobile

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Yes. This is what we are working toward for our girls at St. Andrew. Working in the lab really isn't just about becoming a scientist, it's about learning to try and experiencing the benefits if failure, and it's about learning to think logically and critically about ideas and concept. Please support our efforts to renovate Lab 4: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter

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This is an easy way to support girls' education in a developing country! Any donation is welcome.

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Some morning science humor...rooted in the lab experience and the wonder of discovering that a lemon or lime could do this! Lab experience matters

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Kadambini Ganguly (1861-1923)

Art by Tess E Petersen (website, tumblr)

One of the first South Asian women to complete a university degree,  Kadambini was the second South Asian female physician, graduating the same year as Anandi Gopal Joshi. 

Kadambini caught the notice of Florence Nightingale who wrote to a friend:

This young lady, Mrs Ganguly, married! after she made up her mind to become a doctor! and has had one, if not two children since. But she was absent only thirteen days for her lying-in!! and did not miss, I believe, a single lecture!!

In addition to her work as a physician, Kadambini worked to further the rights of women and the working classes with her politician husband Dwarkanath Ganguly.

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Strong accomplished women like Ganguly are in whose footsteps young girls like those at St. Andrew will walk. Truly inspirational.

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Science Reporter Emily Graslie Reads Her Mail — And It’s Not So Nice

http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/11/30/247842138/science-reporter-emily-graslie-reads-her-mail-and-it-s-not-so-nice?sc=tw&cc=share

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Sometimes women scientists face hostility. After all, how dare they be involved in SCIENCE? But being well trained and supported is an excellent way to build the confidence and skill to withstand hostility like the kind experienced by Emilie

Support the Because Girls in Science Matter Campaign to invest in girls’ science education, beginning to ensure that young scientists have the opportunity to develop their skills and confidence: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter . Invest, inspire, empower.

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The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he's one who asks the right questions.

Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908-2009)

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About the Because Girls in Science Matter Crowdfunding Campaign

The Because Girls in Science Matter Crowdfunding Campaign launched on Sunday, June 1, 2014 and will run for 30 days. The Campaign aims to raise USD$25,000 for the renovation of Lab 4 on the Old Science Block at St. Andrew High School. The Old Science Block was built in 1944. For almost 90 years, St. Andrew has provided high­ quality education to girls from across Jamaica. The Because Girls in Science Matter Crowdfunding Campaign builds on that tradition and will ensure that future generations of girls who come through St. Andrew’s gates at Cecelio Avenue have access to high quality science facilities and instruction. This Crowdfunding Campaign (http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter) is the first of its kind for St. Andrew or for any high school in Jamaica, staying true to the pioneering spirit of St. Andrew and its graduates, fondly called Old Girls.

Support the Because Girls in Science Matter Campaign to invest in girls' science education -- hands on laboratory experience is necessary for full instruction in this discipline -- to inspire a new generation of scientists, and to empower girls to do their best: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter

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A test that fails

by Casey Miller and Keivan Stassun

“Universities in the United States rely too heavily on the graduate record examinations (GRE) — a standardized test introduced in 1949 that is an admissions requirement for most US graduate schools. This practice is poor at selecting the most capable students and severely restricts the flow of women and minorities into the sciences.

We are not the only ones to reach this conclusion. William Sedlacek, professor emeritus of education at the University of Maryland, College Park, who has written extensively on the issue, notes that studies find only a weak correlation between the test and ultimate success in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields. De-emphasizing the GRE and augmenting admissions procedures with measures of other attributes — such as drive, diligence and the willingness to take scientific risks — would not only make graduate admissions more predictive of the ability to do well but would also increase diversity in STEM.

Test disparities

The GRE, like most standardized tests, reflects certain demographic characteristics of test-takers — such as family socioeconomic status — that are unrelated to their intellectual capacity or academic preparation. The exam’s ‘quantitative score’ — the portion measuring maths acumen, which is most commonly scrutinized in admissions to STEM PhD programmes — correlates closely with gender and ethnicity (see ‘The great divide’). The effect is powerful. According to data from Educational Testing Service (ETS), based in Princeton, New Jersey, the company that administers the GRE, women score 80 points lower on average in the physical sciences than do men, and African Americans score 200 points below white people. In simple terms, the GRE is a better indicator of sex and skin colour than of ability and ultimate success” (read more).

(Source: Nature 303-304, 2014)

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I do not mind that you are a girl, but the main thing is that you yourself do not mind. There is no reason for it.

- Albert Einstein (1879-1955) in 1946 in response to Tyfanny (from South Africa).

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[History] Science Education at St. Andrew High School for Girls

Science education has long been important part of the St. Andrew curriculum beginning with the main labs were built in 1944.  Though the labs could always not accommodate all science subjects, St. Andrew’s leadership ensured that its students had every opportunity to study the sciences.  The school’s third principal, Mary Dawson (1957 - 1968), was a science teacher.  A Welsh woman, she taught botany and returned to Jamaica to lead the school through several significant milestones.  Under her leadership, a great deal of development in science education at St. Andrew, notably the beginning of instruction in physics at the nearby Calabar Boys School until the St. Andrew physics labs were complete in 1963.  In 1959 Ms. Dawson oversaw the expansion and renovation of a block of facilities to create additional space for instruction in chemistry, biology, and botany.  These early commitments to science education have not wavered.  Many St. Andrew graduates (as you see from the testimonials) have pursued and excelled at many science and technology-related fields.   Support the Because Girls in Science Matter Campaign to invest in girls' science education -- hands on laboratory experience is necessary for full instruction in this discipline -- to inspire a new generation of scientists, and to empower girls to do their best: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter

  Image Source: myjamaicanfamilyblogspot.com; Miss Dawson and Miss Liversidge (ca 1952) on St. Andrew High School grounds before the Main Building, which still stands today.

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[Testimonial] Tiffany Ashton, DDS '98

My interest in a career in dental medicine began when I was at SAHS. I loved science and those classes definitely provided me with the knowledge and fueled my ambition to pursue a career as a dentist. I recall working on experiments in the labs, where we sometimes had to pair up and work in groups because we shared Bunsen burners and other equipment. In Chemistry,

I sat at a lab table with Anya, Eesha & Tayo, which resulted in a lot of time discussing the experiments (and other non-related Chemistry subjects too). I think that our Chemistry teacher, Mrs. Stokes sometimes turned a blind eye to our chatting, because she understood that sharing our enthusiasm with friends made the subject even more fun. With the support of my teachers, completing my CXC SBA Manuals for (Chemistry, Biology & Physics) left me armed with confidence in my abilities and equipped with groundwork for vital scientific skills (from practical to data analysis).

Tiffany Ashton, DDS, SAHS Class of 1998

Support the Because Girls in Science Matter Campaign to invest in girls' science education -- hands on laboratory experience is necessary for full instruction in this discipline -- to inspire a new generation of scientists, and to empower girls to do their best. As Dr. Ashton recalls, science class was a place -- a safe space --for collaborative learning skills...and building friendships: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter

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The most important thing we can do is inspire young minds and to advance the kind of science, math and technology education that will help youngsters take us to the next phase of space travel.

- John Glenn (1921- )

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The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not “Eureka!’ but “That’s funny…”

- Isaac Asimov (1920-1992)

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Which age group will use science Lab 4?

Science Lab 4 will be used by students in grades 7 through 9, the early years of a student’s career at St. Andrew. Therefore, it’s important that the labs are of high quality to ensure that students have a good introduction to and foundation in the sciences, whether they chose those subjects for the CXCs or not. High quality facilities complemented by good instruction are necessary for students to have the best chance of excelling in the CXCs. Students also begin to build the confidence and academic curiosity that are necessary for future leadership positions at St. Andrew and beyond.

Support the Because Girls in Science Matter Campaign to invest in girls' science education -- hands on laboratory experience is necessary for full instruction in this discipline -- to inspire a new generation of scientists, and to empower girls to do their best: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter

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Why Science Lab 4 Now?

As St. Andrew prepares to celebrate its 90th year and builds for the next 90 years, it has embarked on several infrastructure improvement projects to renovate and upgrade original buildings and to build new ones.  The complete renovation of the Main (and original) Science Block and its 4 main labs -- built in 1944 - is one of these projects.  Since 2012, the St. Andrew High School Foundation, which manages the fundraising, endowment, and infrastructure improvement projects for St. Andrew, has, through traditional fundraising, raised USD$250,000 to renovate three of the four main science labs.  Lab 33 (it is also called Lab 4 because it is the 4th in this infrastructure improvement project) is the last lab standing on the Main Science Block.  It was built in 1944. It is the largest of the main labs, and requires approximately USD$80,000 for its complete and necessary renovation.  Work on Lab 4 is expected to begin in June 2015.

In 1925, St. Andrew High School for Girls began with 21 students.  Now, St. Andrew educates 1500 girls from grades 7 through 13 (first form through upper 6th).  Many students pursue the sciences and all required to study sciences during their first years at the school.  The need for well-equipped science labs to support the school’s mission of high-quality holistic education is unquestioned.  Because Girls in Science Matter, we invite you to help continue the tradition of science education at St. Andrew High School for Girls.  Help us to ensure the school’s and Jamaica’s future by educating our girls.

Support the Because Girls in Science Matter Campaign to invest in girls' science education -- hands on laboratory experience is necessary for full instruction in this discipline -- to inspire a new generation of scientists, and to empower girls to do their best. Let's build for the next 90 years: http://www.razoo.com/story/St-Andrew-High-Science-Lab-4-Campaign-Because-Girls-In-Science-Matter