University women who have space in their fall schedules and
creative energy to spare can fill some of their free time by becoming a mentor to middle school girls looking to learn more about technology.
The CyberSisters program creates friendships between University women and middle school girls by pairing them to engage their minds in technology and science.
“Culturally and socially, research shows that girls begin to self-select themselves out of math, science and technology subjects because they feel they are incapable. We are trying to change that,” said Ann Fuller, director of CyberSisters.
The CyberSisters program originated in Eugene in 1997 from a program called “EMPOWER!” designed to mentor girls from low-income families. There are two sessions per year, one in the fall and one in spring. Mentors are selected from both the University and Oregon State University, and they can petition for college credit.
The mentor and protégé initially meet face-to-face to get acquainted and exchange ideas for the project, and are then encouraged to communicate via e-mail twice a week. The pair have 12 weeks to collaborate and create a final project that they present to an audience of peers, family and teachers.
The goal of the project is to combine the protégé’s interests with technology. All projects this year were Web sites, though there is no limit on what the project can be. The Web sites the pairs created were diverse. One showcased a student’s poetry and illustrations, another classified and documented a student’s rock collection, and a third illustrated the Chinese Zodiac.
Mackenzie Johnson, a University geology graduate student and mentor, said she liked being part of a program encouraging girls in science.
“I’ve never met an 11-year-old-girl excited about science,” Johnson said. “It makes me feel good to work with someone interested in what I’m interested in.”
Fuller said any student can participate in the program, and one goal of CyberSisters is to get young girls acquainted with technology and computers, regardless of their interest in math and science.
“It gets girls to start to think about using computers in their lives in any medium,” Johnson said.
Elaina Lindsay, a 12-year-old middle-school student and CyberSisters protégé, said her favorite part of the program was “meeting new people and hanging out.”
Heather Wright, a University graduate student and Lindsay’s mentor, said CyberSisters was a learning experience for her as well.
Lindsay “had so many questions about geology. It was amazing how much she knew,” said Wright. “She just soaked up everything I said.”
Fuller said CyberSisters’ mission is to encourage young girls and increase the number of women role models in technological and science fields.
“It was a fun way of learning,” Lindsay said.
The deadline to apply to be a mentor for the fall session is Oct. 1. For more information, visit cyber-sisters.org.