When a young girl learns how to fix her bicycle or mix cement, her confidence and interest in these activities increases.

We received a great deal of grassroots support for the program. Schools made space available, community centers helped with registration and publicity, and the University of British Columbia gave us space and facilities to develop workshops and to train our instructors. The Government of British Columbia, Women's Program, was our major financial supporter over the five years we worked on the project, supplemented by Employment and Immigration Canada's Challenge Summer Employment Program and a one time grant from Science Culture Canada.

At the completion of the summer '88 program we were confident in the success of the Girls in Science program. The workshop units had been improved and polished over the five years and the evaluations told us of the program's effectiveness in changing the attitudes of young girls towards careers in science and technology.

There is a demonstrated empowerment of girls when they say 'I can do any of these careers if I want to,"

We decided that it was time to make the program more widely available. With funding from Canada Employment and Immigration, we were able to hire a writer, editor, and an artist to put the workshop activities together in a format which would be useful to community groups wishing to put on Girls in Science programs. Since Imagine the Possibilities was printed in 1989, over 200 copies have been requested from allover North America. Based on this book, a six week program was given in the summer of 1989, and a year later about half a dozen week long series were presented in various communities in British Columbia.

When her instructor is a woman scientist or technologist, a girl learns about a role she may occupy as an adult.

It would be interesting to hear from other groups who may have used the book as inspiration for their programs. We, at SCWIST, continue to process requests for the book and provide advice and support to thosesetting up new Girls in Science programs. We are currently seeking funding which would allow
us to promote and administer this and other
related programs on a long term basis.

Mary Vickers, is currently the Chair of the Girls in Science Committee for the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology. Imagine the Possibilities is available for $15.00 from SCWIST, P.O. Box 2184, Vancouver, B.C., V6B 3V7.