SERVING UP

A guide for people who find themselves involved in outreach programs, or want to know about them

• Save time and money: use a pretty and good ready-made handout for your outreach workshops
• Get talking points (for the press? funders? bosses?)
• Find the best sites with activities designed for girls
• Learn research findings from extreme highlights
• Explore the idea that we need more people in science and technology, especially women and minorities
• Find out who has national programming that you can find locally
• Designed like a 10-minute cookbook; pick things up and go for depth later

What’s in the book?
Chapters on: The new kids “science and engineering cuisine” of activities, online and mostly free. Strategies behind activities designed to appeal to girls, based on research. Who is in the community of practice, and why you might seek them out. What makes for a strong program – the high-end or gourmet in outreach programs. What we have learned from research about boys, girls, science, math, and technology. What makes this effort particularly important today. Preview the contents on the ordering site below.

How do you see it used?
As a handout at workshops for people new to the issue, curious, or just wanting some highlights. For parents, teachers, and organizers looking for resources for kids. For those in the field, a checklist. It is cheaper and better than ad hoc photocopies. It is easier than putting together your own handout.

How do I get a copy?
Go to http://stores.lulu.com/sevo/ and order it online. Pay about $13.00 per printed book, plus shipping. Expect a little more time-to-delivery because it is printed just after you request it.

Is there a discount for ordering multiple copies?
Volume orders may be discounted. Lulu.com will charge shipping costs. The more copies you order, the lower the shipping cost per copy.

I see the PDF is cheaper. How may I use it?
The PDF sells for about $9.00. You may print it or distribute it to your people to read electronically. We want you to use it for non-profit educational purposes. It is copyrighted. You may not sell it, or sell copies made from the PDF. If you are going to print & copy it, consider that it may be cheaper to buy the printed book.

Can I get a copy of a flier to hand out instead?
Yes. This text as a PDF flier is here.

Is there financial support to buy copies for my workshop or program?
Not from us. We provide you with a sample letter to send to sponsors. Ask a local company, educational organization, association, or individual for a mini-grant to support this part of your educational outreach. It can be a tax-deductable donation for them. (A sample letter as a PDF is here.)

What if this book is not exactly what we need, but we like it? Will you customize it?
We are available to customize the book to suit your organization. Contact Ruta Sevo (ruta @ momox.org) or Barbara Bogue (barbarabogue @ gmail.com) to discuss your interest. You can develop a contract with one or both of us to add material that you want, and publish a handout restricted to your community. It can be posted “for your eyes only” and “for purchase by you only.” It can carry a title you prefer.
Lulu’s publish-on-demand services allow for a lot of revision.

Are you taking suggestions for additional content?
We invite feedback on how to improve this book/handout. Please cut and paste the questions below into an email message and answer any you like.

1. Did you find this book useful?
2. Does it contain what you expected and wanted?
3. Was the style of writing suitable?
4. Would you wish for other material here?
5. Was the cost reasonable?
6. Was the delivery of copies satisfactory?
7. How did you learn of the book?
8. How did you use the book?
9. Any suggestions for us, for content or promotion or anything else?

We hope that groups that hold workshops on the topic of kids, diversity, and science and engineering will use this book as their introductory handout. Now that there are hundreds of resources, thousands of people involved, and decades of investment, it is time for an easy introduction and digest.

Citation

Sevo, Ruta & Bogue, Barbara (2009). Serving up science and engineering (to girls especially): a quick briefing. http://stores.lulu.com/sevo/ and http://momox.org/servingup.html/ Available for purchase as a PDF or a paperback book.