Dear parents, principals, and our school community partners,

We’re wrapping up our Fall 2013 semester of Girlstart After School. And in case you didn’t know, you’re

in good company: Girlstart After School is now reaching more than a THOUSAND girls each week between Dallas and McAllen. In the fall of 2009, we were doing

four Austin ISD programs. Now, we’re doing 4 programs in San Antonio alone, plus 13 programs in Austin

ISD, and an additional 26 programs in 9 other districts across Texas.

Girlstart After School girls are solving engineering challenges this fall: they have explored aeronautical, aerospace, electrical, manufacturing, mechanical, petrochemical, and structural engineering. We know that engineering is

top of mind for Girlstart girls: one of our Girlstart After School girls had the opportunity of meeting the

new president of Southwestern University in Georgetown. She introduced herself as a member of the

graduating class of 2121 and said that she would like a scholarship to Southwestern. Except, as she told him,

“Southwestern doesn’t have a college of engineering, and I want to be a mechanical engineer. Could you

work on that so that I can attend Southwestern and study engineering?” (We understand that he promised

he’d get to work on it.)

In addition, of last year’s 875 Girlstart After School girls, we would like to share with you:. 95% of them demonstrated acumen in the scientific method and the engineering design process.

That’s our first goal for Girlstart After School.

. 92% know that if they do well in STEM in school, they are more likely to get into college. Girls seeking

STEM in college is our second goal. And 97% of Girlstart After School girls want to attend college, even

though 55% of them would be first-generation college students.

. 95% also said that they were interested in a STEM career. That’s our third goal for Girlstart After School.

At Girlstart, more girls are encouraged to develop their ideas and insights through STEM.

E M P O W E R I N G G I R L S I N S C I E N C E , T E C H N O L O G Y, E N G I N E E R I N G A N D M AT H

1400 W. Anderson Lane | Austin, Texas 78757 | tel: 512.916.4775 | fax: 888.852.6481 | www.girlstart.org

E M P O W E R I N G G I R L S I N S C I E N C E , T E C H N O L O G Y, E N G I N E E R I N G A N D M AT H

1400 W. Anderson Lane | Austin, Texas 78757 | tel: 512.916.4775 | fax: 888.852.6481 | www.girlstart.org

Girlstart girls are connected, brave, and resilient.

If you want to find out first about Girlstart happenings, please sign up for our newsletter, check out our blog

or follow our Facebook or Twitter feeds. We have our Girls in STEM program coming up again this spring, and

you can check out our free STEM Saturdays, Starry Nights, and other community STEM programs. In addition,

we invite you to bring STEM fun home during the holidays! You can participate in our (also free!) virtual

program called DeSTEMber. Each day in the month of December, we give you an activity that you can do

at home with your family and friends.

Thank you for making 2013 another exceptional year of STEM education for girls at Girlstart. You, our parents,

principals, campus coordinators, and whole school communities make it possible for us to continue bringing

Girlstart After School to your school and your girls. Because of you, Girlstart girls are more successful, and

ready to take on the world’s greatest challenges.

Kristi Anderson, After School Coordinator

Itzel Gutierrez, Program ‘to Go’ Assistant

Katelyn Wamsted, Director of Programs

Tamara Hudgins, Ph.D., Executive Director

Austin ISD

Ann Richards School for

Young Women Leaders

Cook Elementary

Govalle Elementary

McBee Elementary

Norman Elementary

Ortega Elementary

Palm Elementary

Pleasant Hill Elementary

Rodriguez Elementary

Widen Elementary

Wooldridge Elementary

Wooten Elementary

Zavala Elementary

Del Valle ISD

Baty Elementary

Gilbert Elementary

Georgetown ISD

Cooper Elementary

McCoy Elementary

Mitchell Elementary

(Two After School clubs)

Pickett Elementary

Williams Elementary

Hays CISD

Fuentes Elementary

(Two After School clubs)

Hemphill Elementary

Pfluger Elementary

Tobias Elementary

Pflugerville ISD

Dessau Elementary

Northwest Elementary

Parmer Lane Elementary

Riojas Elementary

Wieland Elementary

Round Rock ISD

Caraway Elementary

Wells Branch Elementary

Voigt Elementary

Taylor ISD

Main Street Intermediate

Taylor Middle School

Fall 2013 To-Go locations:

Connally ISD

Connally Elementary

Mansfield ISD

Erma Nash Elementary

McAllen ISD

Alvarez Elementary

Northside ISD

Hatchett Elementary

Linton Elementary

Martin Elementary

Mary Hull Elementary

Girlstart After School

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