Women Count: A Conference for Directors of Mathematics Outreach Programs for Young Women

Applications are invited for participation in a conference in Boulder, Colorado on July 29, 2003 preceding Mathfest 2003. This conference is organized by the Women and Mathematics Network under the auspices of the MAA Committee on the Participation of Women. The purpose of this conference will be to disseminate information about current successful outreach programs for young women and to encourage the establishment of more programs throughout the nation. By associating this effort with the Mathfest scheduling, it is hoped this conference will be professionally beneficial to the Women Count participants as well as provide an opportunity to better publicize outreach efforts to the broader mathematical community. Support for this conference is being provided by the Association for Women in Mathematics, National Security Agency, and the Tensor Foundation.

The participants in the Women Count Conference will be selected from the applications of experienced and prospective program directors. Team entries that pair an experienced director with a prospective director from the same geographic region are encouraged because this enhances the opportunities for continued mentoring following the conference. Partial travel support (approximately $350) will be provided for participants. This conference will include a workshop on grant writing, and breakout sessions for programs for high school students versus those with a middle school focus. Guest speakers will lead sessions on such issues as selection of program format, recruitment of young women, types of hands-on activities, possible funding sources, and assessment procedures. Representatives from the National Security Agency, Mathematical Association of America-Tensor Foundation, and the National Science Foundation will be invited to speak on their programs that assist and support mathematics outreach activities

Information about this conference and an application form may be found on the Women and Mathematics Network website: http://www.mystery.com/WAM/events/Women_Count_application.html

Elizabeth (Betsy) Yanik
Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
Emporia State University
Emporia, KS 66801
Phone: (620) 341-5630
E-mail: yanikeli@emporia.edu