On May 13th 2011 the third Skirting Science event to be organised by SI Weston-super-Mare took place at Hans Price Academy (previously Wyvern School) in Weston. 250 girls from 15 schools across the region descended on the school – on offer a chance to programme a dancing robot, collect a DNA sample and make it into a necklace, design a new perfume – in all 18 different workshops designed to enthuse girls about science.
The day was opened by Dr Preeti Kaur, a young female chemist from Bristol University who studies organisms that live in extreme conditions, like the volcanic areas of New Zealand. She said, “This event is so great. It shows girls just what a huge variety of things they can do in science, and how exciting it can be.”
Organiser Ruth Thomas, Programme Action Officer for the club, said “There is nothing like Skirting Science anywhere els in the UK. But one of the reasons that it is so successful is the hard work and enthusiasm shown by Club members”. They were drafted in to help guide the girls and workshop providers to the right classroom, ensure equipment was in the right place at the right time and, at the end of a hectic day provide everyone with very welcome refreshments.
And what did the girls think? “I learnt that chemistry is cool”, said one; “I just didn’t know before now that girls can become engineers” – another.
Anne Woolley, Weston-super-Mare Soroptimist President summed it up – “It was an amazing event and so valuable. We Soroptimists are all about promoting women and where better to start than by showing these young girls that science is fantastic.”