Congratulations to Rochelle Holm on completing a series of 4 Science Clinics for Girls in 2019! There is a gap in STEM towards long-term development and economic drivers in sub-Saharan Africa (Blom et al., 2016). The gap in STEM starts early in the Malawi, Africa, educational system, as up until 4th grade, there are no science and technology books or school teacher guides available (Malawi Government, 2016). And yet, where many traditional disciplines such as religious education or language arts may borrow from Western education models, a field of study such as earth sciences, offers a unique opportunity for pairing experiences with a local sub-Saharan Africa University with locally trained professionals and solutions. The objective of the 1-day girls science day clinic is to motivate the girls to stay in school, and to make a career in science seem like a fun and possible option. We have offered these clinics on a small scale since 2013, for many girls it was their first time 'doing' hands-on science, and despite that they may live in the same city as our University.
