Reading, PA – There are girls who have been part of Sisters in STEM (SIS) for the last three years, spanning their fourth through sixth grade school years. A number of these participants have asked to form a “Big SIS” component so they can share their experiences with the younger girls and act as mentors encouraging participation of the “littles.” The story of one of the young women who completed our program and now aspires to be a Big SIS is “Nova” Nylise. Her story will be featured in the Reading Science Center’s upcoming Community Impact Report.
Born and raised in Reading, Nylise, known as “Nova” here at the Reading Science Center (The Sisters in STEM participants choose “science names,” just like our program staff and volunteers.), is a student at Northeast Middle School. Currently in eighth grade, she became involved with the Reading Science Center several years ago as a fifth-grade student.
During a routine session with her school guidance counselor, Nylise and her counselor considered possible after school programs available to her. Her counselor mentioned the newly developed, science-focused Sisters in STEM program, meeting on Tuesday afternoons at the Reading Science Center and available to fourth through sixth grade girls. Nylise thought, “I do have Tuesday afternoons free… AND, I really like science. I could go.” Science quickly became her favorite school subject, therefore she felt this might be a great opportunity to learn more about science and do more experiments, “…the best part!”, she says with a grin. She enjoyed the program so much throughout fifth grade that she returned for sixth grade, even when the program shifted to Wednesday afternoons.
Nylise described a typical Sisters in STEM afternoon. At about 4:30 in the afternoon, girls would arrive, find their name tags, find the table to which they were assigned that particular afternoon, settle in and take a deep breath. Then, “Solar System” Sarah would introduce a science topic for the day. “There were lots of experiments and lessons. We did hands-on activities every afternoon. We learned new science words, and we learned about different types of scientists. Sometimes guest speakers visited,” (such as Melissa Acosta, educator at Berks Nature, and Kellie McGlynn, WFMZ meteorologist, among others.)
Nylise enjoyed the surprise of an unexpected and novel experiment or activity each time the Sisters in STEM program met. “It kept me interested. I always looked forward to being at the Reading Science Center.” However, she appreciated that each Sisters in STEM afternoon followed a predictable pattern for both the kick-off and the wrap-up, in which the leaders connected with the girls. At the end of each meeting, one student would choose an “affirmation card” from the deck of cards produced by one of the leaders. Together the girls recited a positive quote such as, “I AM UNIQUE AND ONE OF A KIND. I have something special to contribute to the world and I am proud to be me!” Nylise describes an environment of feeling known and understood at the Reading Science Center.
Nylise shared, “The coolest part about coming to the center is that we were learning something new here, and then, we’d learn the same thing in school within the next few days. As my teacher was explaining it to the rest of the class, I already knew what I was doing!” The more often this occurred, the greater Nylise’s confidence in herself, and the bolder she became in answering her teacher’s questions during science class.
Additionally, Nylise began noticing science all around her. She describes observing the world differently after participating in the varied science studies at Sisters in STEM. For example, she notices plants that she can identify by name, names the parts of a plant, and even dissects plants on her own to investigate further. And, when she observes the night sky, she recalls astronomy lessons about the constellations and identifies stars.
When asked about the overall impact the Sisters in STEM program has had on her, she shared, “I am able to be myself as a girl who is interested in science. There are a lot of people out there making fun of others for being “into” school. But, some of us actually like learning. At the Reading Science Center we’re all nerds together!”
Last school year, 2022-23, Nylise returned to the Sisters in STEM program as the first “Big SIS”, mentoring the younger girls who joined the after school program. When asked how she felt about this opportunity she responded without hesitation, “honored!”, smiling brightly. She sees this as an opportunity for personal growth, giving back, and a chance to encourage other young girls like herself, stating, “I hope to be around for a while.”
