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Prior Events
GROW (Girls Researching Our World) has a 20 year history of inspiring and encouraging girls' interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through the years, we have enabled middle-school students to meet with K-State students and faculty completing cutting-edge research in fields that may be of interest to them. Each year, we offer 2 Saturday Workshops and 1 Summer Workshop.
2019-2020 Events
It's Elemental, Dr. Watson!
October 12, 2019
In honor of 2019 being the International Year of the Periodic Table, students investigated the many (and sometimes mysterious) was in which chemical elements and/or the periodic system continue to influence STEM today. With 87 students attending, the activities included "Iron for Breakfast" where students explored which cereals were a good source of iron; "What do the periodic table, air travel & coloring maps have in common?" which explored some basic notions of a mathematical area known as graph theory; "Seeing the Unseen" where students created a low-cost healthcare microscope using origami; and "Elephant Toothpaste & Other Extreme Reactions" showing how chemicals react such as water and hydrogen peroxide.
2020: Back to the Future!
February 22, 2020
As we began both a new year and a new decade, students explored knowledge gained over the last decade and investigated upcoming research, discoveries and innovations that will inform the next. With 93 students attending, the activities included "Go With the Flow: Human Impacts on River Processes" where students created a river to observe how rivers move over time by eroding and depositing sediment; "Designer Genes or Designer Jeans" where students put together a gene sequence;"The Future is Now" which discussed spending and saving decisions made today affect the future; and "Health Buildings, Healthy You!" showing how the buildings we spend our time in affect our health.
Summer Workshop
June 3-5, 2020
More information coming soon!
2018-2019 Events
Science Behind the News
November 3, 2018
Participants went behind the headlines to understand the science, technology, engineering and math that contributes to breaking news around the world! 93 students attended. The activities included: "To Learn or To Eat," which examined ways to solve the global food shortage issue so that no child needs to choose between food and learning; "How MUCH is 40" of Rain?" where students learned about floods that caused damage in Manhattan and in the Carolinas, and "Number Systems and Counting Dots," which involved a math game and counting the way computers do!
Champions of Change
February 23, 2019
In honor of Black History Month, students learned more about some of the many influential black scientists, engineers, and mathematicians whose contributions were and are groundbreaking. 72 students attended. Activities included, "Connecting Genetics and Agriculture," which celebrated Marie Maynard Daly, the first black woman to earn a PhD in chemistry; "The Basic Tale of a Rather Hairy Business," where students learned about hair care chemistry and earlier scientists Annie Malone and Madame CJ Walker; and "Filaments & Flux," that explored the life and work of Warren E. Harding.
Summer Workshop
June 5-7, 2019
KAWSE celebrated 20 years of Summer Workshops! 55 middle-schoolers joined the fun with 3 days of hands-on learning on the K-State campus. They stayed in Marlatt Residence Hall and ate at the newly remodeled Kramer Dining Center. Students had the chance to visit the K-State rec center and natatorium. Hands-on activities included "Moving Buildings to Move Agriculture Forward," where students visited state-of-the-art phenotyping facilities; "From Plants to Paper," where students made their very own paper...using plants; and "Animal Nutrition: What do we feed animals and why?" where students examined differences in animal digestive tracks and how that influences what they eat.
2017-2018 Events
STEM Spooktacular
October 28, 2017
Our Halloween-themed workshop investigated the spookier side of STEM. Students participated in workshop like "CSI: Manhattan," "Ghouls Reducing Our Wattage," and "Wizard's Potion." These activities solved entomolgical mysteries, improved energy efficiency, and used chemistry to create a foam that grows. 89 middle-school students participated.
Out of This World
February 24, 2018
This NASA-themed workshop investigated the science behind exploring space. Activities included: "Astronaut Fatigue," about the physiological signal monitoring needed to keep track of astronaut health; "It IS Rocket Science," where students learned more about being inside of a rocket ship; and "Mission to Mars," where students tested their skills on a Mars obstacle course! 115 students attended this event.
Summer Workshop
June 6-8, 2018
72 middle-school students joined KAWSE for the 19th annual Summer Workshop. Staying in the dorms and eating at the dining hall, students spent 3-days and 2-nights learning about STEM and participating in STEM-themed activities. Activities held during this camp included: "HERO: Humanitarian Engineers Responding Optimally" which explored how relief agencies deliver supplies to people after a natural disaster; "What do you mean there is metal in my water" where students looked at the chemistry of different metals found in water; and "Do mosquito larvae hide from fish?" which used mosquito larvae to study behavioral responses to predation threat from minnows.
2016-2017 Events
Ticks, Mosquitoes and Zika, Oh My!
November 12, 2016
During this workshop, students explored diseases, how they spread, and the various impacts of wide-spread diseases. 74 students attended, and enjoyed activities like "EEEWWW, It's a Tick!;" "How Did I Get the Plague?" and "Careers in Veterinary Medicine." Throughout the day, students learned more about how diseases spread between people and the environment, how technology helps scientists track outbreaks, and the many careers focused on preventing harmful diseases.
GROWing Green
April 22, 2017
In honor of Earth Day, 66 students participated in activities related to natural resources management, environmental science, and innovations in STEM that help make the planet (and our lives) healthier! Example activities included: "Future Filtration," which investigated how water filtration can provide clean water to those in need; "How Unmanned Aircraft Affect a Sustainable Environment," linking unmanned aircraft systems and agricultural operations; and "Growing UP: Urban Gardens," to examine how growing food in urban areas may be increasingly important.
Summer Workshop
June 7-9, 2017
79 middle-school students joined KAWSE for the 18th annual Summer Workshop. The students spent 3-days and 2-nights on the K-State campus, learning more about what its like to be a college student in a STEM major. Students stayed in the Moore Residence Hall and ate at the Derby Dining Center. In the evenings, students enjoyed a pool party and movie night. During the day, they enjoyed activities such as "Biology in High Containment," "Melanin: How Nature Makes Black and Brown," and a tour of the Equine Performance Testing Center.
2015-2016 Events
All for Animal Health
November 14, 2015
At this event, students from all over Kansas learned about how scientists and engineers help make animals lives easier and healthy. Some of the activities include: "Exploring Equine Digestion System", which explored the digestion system in horses, "Toxicology in a Box", where the students learned about important concepts in toxicology such as dose-response, body size, variability in response, and the uptake of chemicals, and "It's in their Genes", which looked at how DNA strands are formed.
All Together for Innovation
February 27, 2016
During this event, 88 students enjoyed activities that helped them explore the way scientists and engineers create ideas and inventions that make our lives happier, healthier, safer, and easier! Some of the activities include: "How Strong is Sand?", students constructed a bridge using sand and tissue paper, "Turning Up the Heat on Cancer", students learned about microwave devices used for treating cancer with heat, and "DNA: Revealing the Code of Life", students discussed the importance of DNA, demo electrophoresis and physical mapping, and hands on isolation of fruit DNA from strawberries.
Summer Workshop
June 8-10, 2016
The 17th annual Summer Workshop saw 50 middle school students join for 3-days and 2-nights of activities! Students stayed in the Moore Resident Hall and ate at one of the K-State Dining Facilities. During the day, the students participated in STEM-themed activities, including: "Brewing a Tornado," where students viewed a tornado chamber to learn more about extreme weather; "Eat them or Light Them," during which students made their own flashlights using vegetables; and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Worms," where students examined nematode worms under dissecting microscopes.