What Parents Need To Know

Science Club for Girls offers free clubs to girls in grades K through 6. Girls in the 7th through 12th grade may work as Junior Mentors in the clubs. The clubs give young girls, especially those from groups traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields an opportunity to do hands-on experiments and activities in a fun, nurturing, and interactive environment. Girls work with mentors who model leadership, affirm college as an expectation, and encourage careers in science and technology as goals and options.

Where and when do the Clubs take place?

Our clubs take place in public schools, community centers and churches in Cambridge, Boston, Lawrence,Newton, Fitchburg, and Leominster after school and on Saturdays. See the Sites page for details.

Enrolling your daughter

Applications for enrollment in Science Club for Girls are available online and at most of our participating open enrollment sites. For application information CLICK HERE

Junior Mentor Program: The biggest program of C.E.L.L.S. is our 7-12th grade JUNIOR MENTOR (JM) PROGRAM. It is a leadership program where upper middle and high school girls serve as co-teachers and near-peer mentors in the Science Clubs. It is also a job preparation program as adolescent girls practice teamwork, communication and other 21st century skills. Junior Mentors receive a stipend, and for many, this is an important and meaningful first job. The Peer Mentor track encourages and recognizes leadership and skill competency. JMs who are in their junior or senior year of high school, have been with SCFG or other STEM program for more than one year and who have exhibited strengths in teaching are invited to lead their own Science Clubs as Peer Mentors. Check out more information about our Junior Mentors and Peer Mentors here.

Parents' Obligations

Please be sure that your daughter is picked up on time, and that you sign out with Science Club for Girls before leaving. If your daughter participates in Extended Day or After-School programs immediately following her club, simply indicate this on the application.

Please be sure that your child understands that, during the Clubs, her science club mentor-scientists are in charge. This means that she must stay with the group in the classroom and follow all directions and guidelines.

In addition, regular attendance at and participation in clubs is expected at all clubs. Please do not deny another girl the opportunity to participate if your daughter is not able to attend regularly.

Snacks

AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS ONLY - We ask each family as they are able to provide a snack for their daughter's club for one week each semester.

Donations

As a parent-founded, free afterschool program we are dependent upon the support of donations to thrive and grow. Science Clubs for Girls is a 501(c)3 organization; therefore any contribution is tax deductible. You may also write checks and make money orders payable to "Science Club for Girls." You can also make an online donation. We appreciate donations of all sizes, but would really welcome a recurring donation of $10 or more per month! Thank you!

Parent Involvement

We would love to have parents more involved in the Clubs. If you would like to help out by being a parent-volunteer or to join any committees, please contact our Program Director, Karen O'Neill.

Although we welcome parents to volunteer for the Clubs, we do not usually place parents as mentors in their daughter's club. While we encourage parental participation, we have found that if parents stay in their daughter's club, their daughters have less interaction and teamwork with other club members.

Thank you for your interest and we hope that we will be hearing from you soon!