7 opportunities for Huntsville girls to get involved in science right now

HSV Botanical Garden class — Youth Programs at the Huntsville Botanical Garden are a great way to get kids involved in science. (Huntsville Botanical Garden on Facebook)

Today we celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a United Nations initiative that has been observed since 2015.

There is no shortage of opportunities for girls to get involved in science in the Rocket City. Here are seven we found.

Girls only

1. Girls Inc. of Huntsville

The goal of Girls Inc. is to make the girls of Huntsville strong, smart and bold. They do that through after-school programs, summer camps and school break programs that focus on topics like healthy living, academic enrichment and life skills.

STEM opportunities are available for kindergarten-8th grade students through the Academic Enrichment program.

Registration for the Spring Break Program, which is March 14-18 this year, opens Monday, February 15.

Girls Inc. of Huntsville is celebrating 50 years of community service this year and aims to serve 3,000 more girls by 2027.

2. Girls in Science and Engineering Day at UAH

The spring semester Girls in Science and Engineering Day at the University of Alabama in Huntsville is on Saturday, April 2 this year. For $15, girls in grades 3-5 have access to a morning of workshops and STEM demonstrations.

Registration is currently full, but you can sign up for the waitlist online.

Don’t have a student but would like to contribute in some way? UAH is looking for volunteers to lead workshops and staff the event. You can also sponsor the program with a monetary donation.

Co-ed opportunities

3. HudsonAlpha summer camps

Students at HudsonAlpha — If biotech is your student’s forte, why not try a HudsonAlpha camp? (HudsonAlpha Educational Outreach on Facebook)

The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology wants to train up the next generation of biotech professionals with three summer camp options for rising 6th-9th graders.

Three different camps are available; one basic, or entry-level, and two advanced:

Code of Life Camp (Basic): Students learn about DNA and enzymes, performing experiments and even dabbling in genetic engineering.
I Want to Work in a Lab Coat (Advanced): Students get to work like a scientist for a week, keeping a lab notebook and performing experiments.
The Secret Lab Challenge (Advanced): Students must use biotechnology tools and previous learning to solve a problem—this year, it’s designing a bio-indicator to detect pollution in a water source.

Registration for camps opens March 23.

4. Astronaut training at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Saturn V — I’m a huge fan of the Space and Rocket Center. (Emily Phillips / Hville Blast)

It’s no secret that Space Camp is one of the nation’s premier STEM experiences for students of all grade levels. But, did you know that the U.S. Space and Rocket Center also offers astronaut training experiences throughout the year?

Try your hand at one of the following:

5. Huntsville Botanical Garden Youth Programs

HSV Botanical Garden — Learning about science alongside these beautiful blooms? Sounds like a blast. (Emily Phillips / Hville Blast)

Nature education is STEM, too! The Huntsville Botanical Garden offers programs for ages 2-teens that allow them to learn more about the natural world amidst the beauty of the Garden.

Choose from:

Nature Academy: Science classes for grades K-8
Seeds to Sprouts: Designed for ages 2-5
Youth Volunteer Program: Horticulture, environmental education and plant conservation experiences for teens

Nationwide Programs

6. Black Girls CODE

Students at BGC conference — Girls learn about tech at a Black Girls CODE event at Howard University in 2015. (Black Girls CODE on Facebook)

The nearest Black Girls CODE chapter is in Atlanta, Georgia, but that doesn’t mean Huntsville girls can’t get involved. BGC gives women of color opportunities to try their hands in the following tech fields: