Friday, November 9, 2018

School and Zoo Groom Future Female Scientists

The women scientists at the San Diego Zoo not only take care of many animals but they also moonlight as role models for female students at Roosevelt International Middle School. During the school year, zoo scientists and Roosevelt teacher, Marci Sponsler, lead an after-school enrichment club called “Girls in Science” (GIS). Students meet once a week for an hour and a half to learn about ecosystems, habitat conservation, and animal life-cycle systems from female scientists working at various capacities at the zoo. 

“My favorite part about Girls in Science is that we get to visit the animal hospital,” says Teagan Brokaw, an eighth grader at Roosevelt. Teagan’s love of animals made it a natural choice to be part of GIS. Her animal family at home includes a dog (Marley), a lizard, and two cats (one of whom is 18). Whenever she has the time, Teagan enjoys riding and caring for horses, and she hopes to become a big animal veterinarian one day. Learning about the science behind different jobs at the Zoo helps students like Teagan build more confidence in pursuing the science-oriented careers that are often dominated by males. 

GIS, one of the most popular clubs at Roosevelt, is among a dozen offerings fully funded by the Friends of Roosevelt Foundation (RooFriends), a non-profit organization comprised of parents, guardians and community members that raises funds to support educational and extracurricular programs. “Unlike many schools, we’re fortunate to be able provide these meaningful learning experiences to our students at no cost,” says Mauricio Ahumada, RooFriends president. “The female professionals at the Zoo do an amazing job inspiring Roosevelt’s young ladies to explore career possibilities and dream big.” 

Visit https://friendsofroosevelt.org/programs/after-school/ase-program-descriptions/ to learn more about Roosevelt’s after school enrichment program.