PREP: Pre-College Experience in Physics to Encourage
the Participation of Women in Science
July 6 - July 29, 2009
Program Report
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Bausch and Lomb Hall
University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627
Instructors: Susan Pratt `12 Physics and Math, Jozal Waroich `10 Biology

PREP, or Pre-College Experience in Physics is an extraordinary program that brings together a group of young women who have had either little or no previous experience in physics. The program aims to give them an introduction to this field of science and encourage them to continue taking classes in mathematics and science. This year, the 24 participants were from 17 different schools and were between the ages of 14 and 16. What they shared was a passion to learn and a curiosity about careers in science. By the end of the month, the young women had gained confidence in their abilities, and were able to recognize physics in everyday life.

The program ran Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm, from July 6^th through the 29^th. A typical day in the PREP program consisted of a lecture on a physics topic, a guest speaker from a science background or a field trip, and time to work on a variety of weekly projects. Additionally, the girls took tours of multiple University facilities.

In the morning we would have our lesson for the day. We tried to cover as many topics in physics as possible in our short time together. Our lessons ranged from Newtonian mechanics, to astronomy, to particle physics and superconductors. These lessons were not intended to be like a typical class. They were more hands-on and less about 'plugging and chugging' in math equations. We wanted to expose the young women to as many different topics in physics as possible to be sure that everyone's interest was sparked. Our lessons all included either a lab activity or demonstrations. We used PowerPoint presentations supplemented by class discussion and optional note sheets, to engage the girls in constructive learning and allow them to keep track of what they learned for future reference.

During the lessons, discussion was encouraged. We tried to help the girls see the concepts in their everyday lives and aided them in using knowledge of physics to explain what they saw. One of the most important jobs that the PREP instructors have is to use the casual, non-traditional classroom atmosphere to encourage the young women to be creative and to allow them to feel that any question is a good question. One of the sayings nearest and dearest to a PREP instructor's heart is 'there is no such things as a stupid question'. Our students really believed this, and they felt comfortable asking insightful questions of the instructors and guest speakers.

Every day the women had a guest speaker or a tour. All of the presenters were from the University of Rochester community, from diverse departments such as admissions and biomedical engineering. Many of our presenters were women from the science community, exemplifying for our students of the paths women can take in science and engineering. This year the group took tours of the medical school and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, along with a trip to the Rochester Museum and Science Center for some hands-on physics and a planetarium show. These talks and tours introduced the young women to fields that they may have never considered before.

For a majority of our students, the highlights of the program were the weekly hands-on projects. The girls worked in small, assigned groups in order to establish bonds with people that they did not know and to build teamwork skills. The projects included building a container to safely support an egg through a 27 foot fall, building a mini-flashlight called “Firefly” to demonstrate series circuits, making flutes to show the physics of music, and building a Rube Goldberg device using physics principals to rescue a mini Nemo, who was trying to escape from Darla. The young women learned to work together as a team and they also learned time management skills.

The final major project was the physics fair. The girls chose their own topics within physics that gave them a chance to be creative and delve deeper into something that they learned over the course of the program that sparked their interest. The young women conducted all of their own research in the library, giving them the chance to be fully in charge of their work. Their topics ranged from the physics of voice to lightning. To make our physics fair similar to a traditional science fair, they all did short presentations of their research. This provided an excellent opportunity for them to practice their public speaking skills as they presented in front of their fellow participants and three judges. Awards were presented to the top two winners of the physics fair.

Based on the feedback and responses from the students and their families, this year's program was a huge success. An open house in the last week gave the girls a chance to show their families what they had learned over the past month. Excited to show their new knowledge with their families, they eagerly explained to them the physics principals behind the projects and various demos that were displayed.

The girls forged friendships with people from other schools that they may never have met otherwise. Most importantly, every participant in PREP left the program with an increased knowledge and appreciation of physics and science in general. This knowledge will serve to boost their confidence, allow them to excel in their high school physics program, and encourage them to further explore the world of science in the future.