Huron Expositor, 2006-07-26, Page 24News
Area science club, run by two Seaforth
teens, continues to grow into second year.
Jeff Heuchert
At times, balancing both school
and running a science club in the
area has been "a little overwhelm-
ing," says Ellen Whelan, one of the
club's two organizers.
Whelan, 18, and Tanya Costello,
17, both of Seaforth, started a sci-
ence club in Seaforth for girls aged 8
to 12 roughly a year and a half ago,
and have been meeting with their
group on a monthly basis since.
The club's membership has grown
to 25 from 14, when it first started.
As a result, Whelan, who recently
completed her first year of biologi-
cal engineering at Guelph
University, says they are now
looking for a third person to help
run the club.
Whelan explains that they'v.e
attempted to come up with original
activities for their students, but at
the same time, make sure they're
activities the ds are interested in.
"What we miklit want to do might
be too far reaching for what they
can handle," says Whelan. "So, we'll
talk to the kids and see what their
interests are."
'It's been very
positive. The girls'
response to the
activities has been
amazing,'L
science club co-organizer
Ellen Whelan
Some of the activities they've orga-
nized include building flashlights
and kites, taking trips to Clinton
Lions Park and the Seaforth Lawn
Bowling Club and having guest
speakers, such as Andrea Gingerich,
a Seaforth-based naturopathic doc-
tor who identified each of the kid's
blood type.
"We try and get all parts of science
and math into it (the club)," says
Costello, who will be attending St.
Anne's Secondary School next
September.
"It's been very positive," says
Whelan. "The girls' response to the
Jeff Heuchert
photo
Seaforth Lawn
Bowing Club
member Fred
Tilley gives
some pointers
to girls from the
science club,
during a recent
visit. Members
pictured include,
from left to
right, Kendra
Siebert, of
,.Seaforth,
Morgan
Flanagan, of
Seaforth, Shelby
Janmaat, of
Seaforth and
Jennifer Baer, of
Brucefield.
activities has been amazing. It's
obliterated any struggles we've
had."
"It's nice to have parents come up
to us on. the street and say their
kids are having such a great time,"
adds Costello.
As members of the Canadian
Association for Girls in Science
(CAGIS), Whelan and Costello con-
tribute to a regular newsletter,
which is distributed among CAGIS's
10 chapters.
Through the -CAGIS website,
Whelan and Costello talk with other
chapter members and get many of
their activity ideas.
The club's visit to the Seaforth
Lawn Bowling Club last week,
where the kids looked at the physics
of the game, was the last meeting
for the summer.
The group returns to meeting on a
once a month basis at the Seaforth
Cooperative Children's Centre,
beginning in September.
Any girls interested can email
Whelan and Costello at
cagis_c4th@yahoo.ca
"We want anyone interested in sci-,
ence, or who isn't interested but
wants to be," says Costello.
"We can encourage them, so that
they can do it," adds Whelan.
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