Seventh-grade girls are invited to participate as social science researchers at Wayne State University for 10 Saturdays while learning that mathematics knowledge is both useful and interesting.

The project, called "Gaining Options: Girls Investigate Real Life" (GO-GIRL), is an enrichment program for middle school girls offered by Wayne State University in cooperation with the Institute for Research on Women and Gender at the University of Michigan. A National Science Foundation grant award funds it.

Scheduled to launch on Saturdays beginning with an opening luncheon on Jan.25 and continuing with classes and field trips through April 12, 2003, GO-GIRL is designed to encourage girls to achieve their full academic potential in mathematics and at the same time, demonstrating its usefulness and viability as a potential career option. Saturday class sessions are from 9 a.m. - 1:30p.m. and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. on field trip days.

Spearheaded by Pamela Trotman Reid, director of the University of Michigan Women's Studies Program and professor in education and psychology, and Sally K. Roberts, assistant professor at Wayne State's College of Education, GO-GIRL will also provide academic training for college students. Pre-service teachers from Wayne State and undergraduate mentors from the University of Michigan will work with the girls providing them with assistance and instruction on their research projects and help them explore future career alternatives.

"We just completed a very successful fall launch of the GO-GIRL program and are now looking forward to a winter session that will expose seventh-grade girls to wonderful resources and opportunities to become engaged in mathematics, while at the same time, becoming familiar with Wayne State University and the University of Michigan," Reid said. "Our winter program will, again, offer a dynamic experience for the girls to explore career opportunities while engaging them with role models at all stages through the mentoring process that our staff will offer," Reid added.

GO-GIRL is designed to help girls develop skills useful for success in the seventh grade and beyond including: scientific reasoning, confidence with computers, using a graphing calculator, learning about careers in mathematics and science, friendships with college student mentors and teachers and enhancing academic self-confidence.

GO-GIRL is free and open to a limited number of seventh-grade female students. An adult educator nominates participants. For more information about the program and registration process, you may use any of the following methods: Contact Prof. Sally Roberts by e-mail at: s.k.roberts@wayne.edu or call the Go-GIRL program at (313) 587-2510 or visit their Web site at http://www.umich.edu/~gogirls

At the end of the program, girls will present their project findings to family and friends at a closing reception. Students will also enjoy fieldtrips to the Wayne State University and University of Michigan campuses and the Detroit Science Center.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.