Tonia's parents have made a conscious decision to enroll their daughter in special Saturday morning science workshops at the local museum. But it's not long before Tonia and her parents notice that she is the only girl attending. At this stage, many parents decide that their sons should be involved in science activites, but not necessarily their young daughters.
In the early childhood years, family encouragement and exposure to informal science and mathematics activities is critical.
The following feature story shows how to nurture the growth of young girls' interests in science and mathematics at this stage of development.
This scenario was adapted in part from the Proceedings of the 1992 Committee on Institutional Cooperation Conference on Advancing Women in Science and Engineering.