[Source: Betty Reid, Arizona Republic] — These future scientists sport pink clothing and nails painted lime green. The girls are members of the Sally Ride Science Club at Arrowhead Elementary School in Phoenix. Club members meet every Thursday and learn about science. Some girls consider science boring, but Kaylee McGurthy, 11, looks forward to the weekly after-school gathering in the school library. The sixth-grader said she especially enjoys projects that make her put gadgets in motion. The mission of the club, named after Sally Ride, America’s first woman astronaut, aims to spark interest of middle-school girls in science, math and technology.
Two weeks ago, the 15 girls worked on a project that had them designing a car of straw, four Lifesaver candies, a sheet of paper, two paper clips and tape. Kaylee and other students puffed their cheeks full of air and blew their makeshift vehicles across a table. The goal was to make a car glide across a table powered only by the operator’s breath. “My group won because our car traveled across the table in one blow,” said Kaylee, whose team consisted of two other girls. “We didn’t get a prize, but it was fun.” [Note: To read the full article, click here.]