Girls aged 9-14 invited to participate in SciGirls Earthquake Program

From a press release:

Girls aged 9-14 invited to participate in SciGirls Earthquake Program

Rosman, NC (Jan. 12, 2015) – Area girls ages 9-14 are invited to a SciGirls program Tuesday, Jan. 27, from 6-8 p.m. at the Transylvania County Extension Office, 98 East Morgan Street, in Brevard. Co-hosted by PARI and the Transylvania County 4-H, this month’s activity is “Earthquake Safety.”

“Earthquakes are fairly common in North Carolina, although they are quite minor,” said PARI Education Director Christi Whitworth. “Our SciGirls program this month will include some information about earthquakes and how they are detected, but will focus on earthquake safety. The girls will be designing paper buildings that will be subjected to a simulated earthquake, so they can learn about structural components that help support a building during earthquakes. We will also be providing some information about PARI’s online seismometer so the girls can continue their learning at home.”

The monthly SciGirls programs are co-hosted by PARI and Transylvania County 4-H, and affiliated with the national effort sponsored by Twin Cities Public Television to change the way girls think about science.

SciGirls events are typically scheduled each month during the school year. The participation fee is $10 per student. Program details, specific hours and registration details can be found on the PARI web site, www.pari.edu. Participants can register at www.pari.edu/programs/students/scigirls. Area teachers and parents are asked to encourage girls who may be interested. The national SciGirls web site is http://pbskids.org/scigirls.

About PARI
The Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI) is a public not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) foundation established in 1998. Located in the Pisgah National Forest 30 miles southwest of Asheville, NC, the PARI campus was selected in 1962 by NASA as the site for one of the first U.S. satellite tracking facilities. Today, the 200 acre campus houses radio and optical telescopes, earth science instruments, 30 buildings, a fulltime staff and all the infrastructure necessary to support STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and research. PARI offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research.

PARI is home to the Astronomical Photographic Data Archive and a member of the NC Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative. PARI’s Exhibit Gallery displays a collection of rare meteorites as well as NASA Space Shuttle artifacts, many of which have flown in space. For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu. Follow PARI on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Astronomy_PARI. “Like” PARI on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Pisgah.Astronomical.Research.Institute.

About Transylvania County 4-H
4-H is the youth development program of our nation’s Cooperative Extension System based at each of our Land Grant Universities.  For more than 100 years, 4-H has been at the forefront of teaching youth about science, engineering, and technology.

Open to young people from 5 to 18 years old, 4-H programs help develop leadership, citizenship and life skills.  Locally, 4-H’ers are learning about science, horses, cooking, gardening, farming, leadership, action planning, public speaking and livestock judging.  To find out more about 4-H opportunities, call the Extension Center at 828-884-3109.