Our Crowdfunding Groups
Who Are We
Expanding Your Horizons at Berkeley is a group of graduate students, post-docs and undergraduate womxn* from a broad range of STEM departments (chemistry, molecular and cellular biology, neuroscience, biophysics, etc), experiences and ethnic backgrounds at UC Berkeley. We want to share our passion for STEM subjects with younger womxn and girls, to encourage them to pursue STEM subjects in their future studies and careers. In the United States, cultural gender stereotypes dictate that women are less capable of excelling in STEM fields than men. This stereotype manifests in both an achievement gap for girls at the K-12 level in STEM subjects, as well as in the underrepresentation of women in STEM professions. Research has shown that particularly middle school represents a critical period in which young women first begin to question whether STEM subjects are “for them” and lose interest in STEM fields. EYH at Berkeley aims to encourage middle school girls to explore and participate in STEM activities by giving them access to education and mentorship from womxn in STEM fields, reducing the attrition of young women from science and mathematics fields. Founded in 2012, EYH at Berkeley hosts an annual conference where over 400 middle school girls from the East Bay Area community have the opportunity to visit the UC Berkeley campus and explore STEM subjects through hands-on workshops led by female mentors that are experts in their fields. The EYH conference offers an exciting keynote speaker, a full day of hands-on workshops, and opportunities for the girls to closely interact with undergraduate and graduate student mentors working in STEM related fields. The 2021 conference featured 14 unique and engaging workshops that were prepared and supervised throughout the day by 46 volunteers from a wide range of STEM departments of the UC Berkeley campus including:
Microscopic & X-Ray Vision
These aren’t just science fiction super powers! Join us as we take a tour of the body in ways you’ve never seen it before: super up close and way deep inside. Together, we’ll learn the basics of how to read medical and dental x-rays, how different organs look under a microscope, the science of how they both work, and a little bit about the jobs of doctors and dentists.
Science of Slime
We all love to play with slime, but how do you make it? In this workshop you will become an engineer at a toy company! We will conduct a series of stretchiness and bounciness experiments to make the perfect slime.
Surviving the Wild
It’s a dangerous world out there! Learn how animals adapt to their environment by changing their bodies and behavior over time. Get a lesson in natural selection, and then test it out for yourself with an animal of your own creation! Can you survive the wild?
This year, we are still determining the format of our conference. Last year, we were one of the few EYH chapters around the country that was able to successfully hold our conference virtually, while maintaining the interactive learning and mentorship experiences that students get in person.
2021 Conference
Although the conference was moved to a remote setting last year, we still had the opportunity to reach 236 young science enthusiasts from the East Bay Area and even a few international students. The participants had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a full day of hands-on exploration, ranging from introductions to plant biology and analytical instrumentation using folding microscopes to coding their own music pieces.
The day was topped off by our keynote speaker, Raven Baxter. Raven Baxter is a molecular biologist who has excelled in her work towards education and science communication. She was recognized by Fortune magazine’s “40 under 40” for her work as founder of STEMbassy, an organization focused on STEM education advocacy. During her keynote speech, Raven explored her career choices, the challenges she faced in her journey, the failures and successes that have shaped her identity as a scientist and led her to find her own space within the scientific community.
In order to overcome the engagement challenges of the remote format of last year’s conference, participants were sent materials kits including all the materials necessary for the workshops, information flyers regarding STEM education, a conference T-shirt including our generous sponsors. Importantly, our organization is committed to making the conference accessible and fair to those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds. Last year, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, we were able to offer the conference free of charge to all participants for the first time.
How Your Support Helps
Despite the hundreds of volunteers that will donate their time to the EYH conference, it still costs over $25,000 to provide a day of interactive learning for over four hundred girls (this amounts to less than $60 per participant!). We are committed to ensuring the conference remains accessible for all young women and therefore ask for only $15 per student in registration fees. Furthermore, we are committed to honoring every single scholarship request. Your donation to the EYH conference at Berkeley will have a significant impact on our ability to inspire the next generation of female scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. With your support, we hope to be able to offer 400 conference scholarships to young girls across the Bay Area, ensuring that our STEM education program is accessible regardless of socioeconomic status.
We are seeking $6,000 to sponsor 400 girls to participate in the conference. The cost for each girl to attend the conference is $15 which includes an EYH at Berkeley T-shirt, all the necessary materials sent to them for workshops they are interested in, and mentorship from UC Berkeley graduate students, post-docs, and undergraduates in STEM. Last year, while our conference was virtual, we were able to use our funds to send each registered participant an at-home workshop kit that included all of the materials to participate in hands-on workshops. Additionally, all parents will have the opportunity to participate in a parents’ workshop to learn how to support and prepare their child for a college education and explore ways to foster their interest in STEM fields. Your support for the EYH conference at Berkeley will have a significant impact on our ability to inspire the next generation of female scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. Please consider donating and sharing our page with your friends and family! Thank you!
Keep in touch with Expanding Your Horizons at Berkeley by following our social media pages below!
Website: https://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~eyh/index.html
Instagram: @eyhatberkeley https://www.instagram.com/eyhatberkeley/
Facebook: Expanding Your Horizons at Berkeley Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/EYHatBerkeley/
https://twitter.com/eyhatberkeley?lang=en
Questions? Email us at eyhberkeleyinfo@gmail.com or contact Erin Aisenberg, co-chair of the Finance team, directly at erinaisenberg@berkeley.edu.
Want to learn more about the network of Expanding Your Horizons conferences powered by Techbridge girls? Visit their website!
* As a community, we understand that there is no single story when it comes to being womxn and we recognize the systemic oppression of marginalized genders. Our use of the “x” in womxn demonstrates our intentional effort to recognize that there are also feminine-identifying, non-binary, and genderqueer people who experience the effects of sexism and genderism. We welcome all young womxn, including those who identify as transgender, non-binary, or genderqueer
Receive a thank you shoutout on one of our social media channels for sponsoring 1 girl!
In addition to the perks above, your name will be listed on the EYH @ Berkeley website!
In addition to the perks above, we will put your name on printed and digital event programs and materials!
In addition to the perks above, these donors will receive a handwritten thank you card on a custom-made photo postcard from a member of the planning committee!
In addition to the perks above, you will be able to have a Zoom meeting with a member of our planning committee!
