The Miami Herald – Christina Veiga
“Yoldine Nicoleau stuffed a strawberry into a Ziploc bag and smashed it to a pulp. As about 20 other girls joined in, the science lab quickly filled with the sweet smell of fresh fruit and the sound of fists pounding on tables. This is what it takes to extract DNA from grocery store items. It’s also getting girls interested in what science looks, smells and sounds like. “This is fun for me,” said Nicoleau, a rising junior at Miami-Dade’s School for Advanced Studies. “I feel comfortable. I enjoy it. I’m around people who understand me.” For a week this summer, a group of young women from across Miami-Dade County got a hands-on introduction to working in STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. They were all selected for Columbia University’s highly competitive Girls in STEM program. The goal: to help more women break through gender barriers in the often male-dominated world of STEM.”(more)