Patricia Thompson
NYS Educational Equity Director

Girls for Planet Earth is a year-old national program developed by the Wildlife Conservation Society with funding from the National Science Foundation's Gender Equity Program. Young women between the ages of 14 and 17 explore the fascinating worlds of ecology and wildlife biology through a service-learning project based in local communities. Since 1895, the Wildlife Conservation Society has worked from their Bronx Zoo headquarters to save wildlife and wild lands throughout the world.

Girls for Planet Earth encourages girls to become environmental leaders. Their website includes information on Service-Learning Projects, Women Working in Conservation, and has a Virtual Clubhouse for girls who participate. The need to encourage girls to stay interested in math and science is critical. AAUW Educational Foundation research shows that women receive only 28 percent of the computer science bachelor's degrees awarded in the United States and just 18 percent of the engineering degrees. In physics, women account for only 20 percent of the bachelor's degrees and 12 percent of the doctorates.

These small groups of high school students around the country who are accepted into the program from affiliated organizations, such as the Girl Scouts of America, conduct science-oriented service learning projects that, in addition to being scientifically rigorous, must also benefit the communities in which they live. AAUW would make an excellent mentoring organization in your community!

For more information:

Girls for Planet Earth
Wildlife Conservation Society