A flier was distributed in two languages, 40 art boxes were mailed, a Spotify playlist was created, and my real life Zoom background collage was complete. It was time to launch our very first online Rising Stargirls Astronomy workshop!
Rising Stargirls sits at the intersection of science and art, providing an avenue for individual self-expression and personal exploration, interwoven with scientific engagement and discovery. We offer middle-school girls (grades 6-8) from groups traditionally underrepresented in the sciences (American Indian or Alaska Native, Black/African-American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) an opportunity to develop their identities as scientists using theater, writing, and visual art. The program has been operating successfully for over five years, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought new opportunities and new challenges. A big challenge was figuring out how to move an in-person program to Zoom. That journey began on June 14th.
Moving online gave us the chance to reach more girls from all over the US. Past workshops had been capped at 15 participants, but this summer, we were able to work with over 40 girls from four different states. “What’s the weather like where you live?” and, “What time is it for you?” were the most common conversation starters between participants. However, hosting a Zoom meeting with 40 middle-school students brings the challenge of creating a safe and intimate environment that encourages the girls to share their full selves. We started with a set of ground rules:
Know yourself: balance your listening and your talking
Speak honestly. All perspectives are valid, and all perspectives are partial.
Take risks and make mistakes.
Your intentions may not be the same as your impact. Own your impact.
We must make sure everyone feels safe.
We are all in this together.
Be creative.
Our Technical Assistant, Jessica Howard, ensured that each participant had the technical resources to participate fully in our workshop, and kept our Zoom room safe from unwanted visitors.
We opened every session with a small group activity to create connections outside of art and science. Whether it was sharing facts about a random object within reach, or inventing new words, the girls had the opportunity to learn something new about their peers. This, along with debriefs and show-and-tells, helped the girls become comfortable with each other. We knew it was working when girls exchanged contact information and shared book recommendations!
In addition to art and science activities, we facilitated discussions about astronomy and physics, focusing on the importance of representation and highlighting women of color (WOC) in these fields. The girls shared that learning about scientists who look like them or come from a similar background as them helps them feel like they belong and can succeed in the field. To encourage girls to find role models that they can relate to, they researched a WOC astronomer or physicist. One girl chose to research our very own Founder and Director, Dr. Aomawa Shields!
