The Observer Newspapers | Educational Conference Planned for Teen Girls

November 21 , 2008

Educational Conference Planned for Teen Girls

Jeanmarie Melchert, a Reston resident and senior at Oakcrest School, hopes to earn her Gold Award, the highest achievement for a Girl Scout. Melchert, who joined the Scouts in kindergarten as a Daisy, has been working on her Gold Award project since she was a sophomore in high school.

Melchert's project has brought together her interest in science and space to create a workshop for teenage girls looking for further information about internships and career opportunities. Space Chix: Girls Discovering Careers in Space Exploration is open to all middle and high school girls who want to learn more about what to study in high school and college and what kinds of jobs exist for girls interested in space. The event will be held this weekend in Reston, and speakers include professionals from NASA, Booz Allen Hamilton and the National Science Bowl.

Melchert said she envisioned her project after participating in the Challenger Learning Center of Greater Washington. Her love of science, specifically physics and chemistry, has propelled her into internships such as NASA INSPIRE (Interdisciplinary National Science Program Incorporating Research and Educational Experience). There she discovered her passion for aerospace engineering found in the propulsion systems that each spacecraft uses.

"I had never worked with something that I wanted to spend the rest of my life doing," she said. Being part of INSPIRE helped Melchert narrow down her own career dreams to something pursuable, she said. She hopes to attend California Institute of Technology in the fall because of their Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which creates unmanned spacecraft for NASA.

Melchert said she hopes that Space Chix will promote girls' involvement in space exploration. By talking with representatives from organizations that offer internships or career-related knowledge, Melchert said, "girls will know better and earlier what to do to pursue their goal. It will help girls narrow down what they want to do and what they need to study now and in college."

A member of Troop 2568, Melchert worked with several advisors including her troop leader, Nancy Willis, in pursuing her Gold Award. The Gold Award calls for a 60-hour project that creates a needed change in her environment. Before a Scout can earn the Gold Award, she must earn several badges including her Leadership, Career, and Challenge awards. The Gold Award follows a specific framework that includes a project proposal that must be approved by the Girl Scout Council.

Space Chix: Girls Discovering Careers in Space Exploration is free and open to girls in middle and high school. The event will take place from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 22 at St. Thomas a Becket Church, located at 1421 Wiehle Ave. in Reston. E-mail spacechix2008@comcast.net or call 703-475-1534.