As Alexis enters the University of Georgia in the fall, she will have the research tools and knowledge required to succeed in college as a result of going through the Gold Award process.Īlexis and other young ladies that have undertaken a Gold Award process should be prepared for the rigors of a STEM graduate program. The club and garden continue to provide a valuable resource to teens in her community. A critical part of her project, other than the club, was building a community garden at her high school where students learned how to garden and plant healthier food options. Alexis formed a garden club at her high school to educate teens on how to make healthier food choices. Marshall Shepherd: What was her project about?Īyana Shepherd: Alexis was concerned about obesity in teens and set out to develop a project that would help address that issue. My first Girl Scout in my troop to earn her Gold Award was Alexis this past March. Being a part of the process as a Gold Award Coach is even more rewarding because you see girls take an issue they care deeply about and work it until it becomes a viable, sustainable project. Marshall Shepherd: Have any of your girls received the Gold Award?Īyana Shepherd: The experience of watching one of your girls earn her Gold Award is one of the proudest moments as a troop leader. Shepherd, whose Troop is a part of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, has also served as the Director of the Apalachee Service Unit. I interviewed Troop 1343 Leader and Gold Award Coach Ayana Shepherd who also happens to be my wife. If you look at the 7 steps of the Gold Award process laid out at this link on the Girl Scout website, it looks very familiar to what I just laid out too: The process that the girls undertake is very similar to how I advise science-related graduate students as they embark on their Doctoral studies: (1) Identify a problem that is novel or fills a gap, (2) Conduct background research and/or literature reviews to build a defensible case for your motivation or the need, (3) Formulate a set of testable research questions to be evaluated with the scientific method, (4) Gather data and develop methodologies, (5) Use the methodologies to do experiments or analysis, (6) Draw conclusions, and (7) Present findings in written and/or oral format. According to the Girl Scouts website, “To earn this unique award, Seniors and Ambassadors don’t just change the world for the better, they change it for good by tackling issues dear to their hearts while driving lasting change in their communities and beyond.” It is the pinnacle award given by the organization. Ok, so where does the Girl Scout Gold Award come into this discussion. I could tell you numerous stories from my career trajectory or you can watch the movie Hidden Figures and see for yourself. Even when women and minorities ascend in STEM careers, they often feel that they have to prove that they belong because of discriminatory thoughts by peers that they had unfair advantages getting to those positions. Deborah Birx as examples, but at the local levels, we must ensure that there are ample STEM role models for girls too. ![]() Thankfully, girls today have role models like Dr. Their careers or promotion trajectories were often truncated due to maternity, childcare needs, and lack of networks or access. As a former Chair of the American Meteorological Society’s Board on Women and Minorities, we constantly saw the biases that professional women faced. There were a lot of black entertainers and athletes but very few scientists. As an African American scientist, this was a challenge for me as a child. I cringe whenever parents utter, “I wasn’t good at math or science so.” While not hereditary, math does require interest, engagement, and exposure. ![]() ![]() There is a myth that propagates in some households that math or science mastery is genetic. One Gwinnett County teacher told me, “In class, many girls will answer questions but in small groups, and especially groups with boys, they look around to their peers before answering or proposing ideas demonstrating how unsure they are of how to express their thoughts and ideas.” ![]() Many educators have shared the peer pressure and gender-based maneuvering observed in classrooms. Studies have shown that such narratives affect how college-aged women perceive science and math. What did you find? Merchandising targeted at girls. Enter the words, “I'm too pretty to do math” in your search bar.
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