The Women in Neuroscience Group has initiated a high-school outreach program here in London, Ontario. The primary goal of the programs is to promote the image of the scientist to an inclusive image; such that, scientists are evaluated based on their research capacities and not their physical appearance. In one of our programs, we attend local high-schools and teach the students about neuroscience. We hope that in addition to teaching students about neuroscience, we will be serving as role models of female scientists. Our goal is to expose students to female scientists so that over time, the image of the “male scientist” is replaced with an image of a “human scientist”. This program implicitly demonstrates to students that your gender does not dictate whether or not you can become a successful scientist.
In addition to the in-class neuroscience presentations, we have a program designed for parents and teachers. This program is a grass-roots initiative designed to promote a discussion of issues facing women in science with instructors and/or parents. We believe that both teachers and family members play a fundamental role in motivating and training children and adolescents. During the course of this program, we first summarize some recent research evidence discussing some prominent challenges that females face in science and in academia. We also discuss potential strategies to help alleviate some of these concerns. Importantly, we emphasize the influence that both males and females can have in addressing these challenges.
Finally, we are working alongside CAGIS to work with girls in elementary schools.
If you are interested in having the Women in Neuroscience Group speak at your school or event, please contact westernwins at gmail dot com.
Holy Cross Catholic Secondary School
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