Sally Ride and Caltech Encourage Local Girls to Reach for the Stars! at Sally Ride Science Festival World-Famous Astronaut Tammy Jernigan to Present Keynote Speech

This is one in a series of festivals organized by Sally Ride Science, a company dedicated to creating science experiences for girls that empower them, engage them, and encourage their interests. More than 40 Sally Ride Science Festivals have been held around the country, and each has attracted hundreds of girls and parents for a day of science, socializing, and fun. The festivals are designed to pique the interest of middle-school girls, a group that, for a variety of reasons, begins to drift from their natural interests in science and math.

The event will feature a keynote speech by world-famous astronaut Tammy Jernigan, exciting Discovery Workshops led by women professionals ranging from veterinarians to rocket scientists, and a festive street fair with booths, exhibits, food, music, and a drawing for prizes. Additionally, an adult program for parents and teachers will focus on topics such as hands-on science and gender equity. The festival will begin at 11 a.m. with check-in and the street fair, and will end at 4:15 p.m. The cost is $18 in advance and includes lunch and all festival activities and materials.

Sally Ride Science Festival Highlights: o Hear Tammy Jernigan describe her experiences in space. o "Discover Your DNA" at GlaxoSmithKline's street fair booth, and become a crime scene investigator for the afternoon at one of the company's biological science Discovery Workshops, "Science Detectives." o International Rectifier, the power management leader, demonstrates that energy-efficiency can be fun. o Take the Northrop Grumman Foundation Soduko Logic Challenge. o Choose from numerous other hands-on, creative science, math, and tech-related Discovery Workshops, such as "Robots Exploring Mars" and "How Do You Really Smell? Find Out if You Smell Better Than a Dog, a Mosquito, or a Fruitfly!" presented by Caltech faculty. o Participate in workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support girls' interests in science and math. o Enjoy the street fair, with fun science demonstrations, entertainment, free give-aways, and a drawing for prizes, as well as the chance to meet Tammy Jernigan.

The festival is supported by lead sponsor International Rectifier and national sponsors the Northrop Grumman Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline. The festival will incorporate the resources of the local community to energize girls and encourage them to Reach for the Stars! Teachers, parents, and students can pre-register and find out more about the festival schedule and workshops either online at www.SallyRideFestivals.com or by phone at (800) 561-5161.

Advanced registration is required.

Sally Ride Science Sally Ride Science was founded by astronaut Sally Ride to support the large numbers of girls and young women who are, or might become, interested in science, math, and technology. The company creates science experiences for girls that empower them, engage them, and encourage their interests. Current programs include Sally Ride Science Festivals, Sally Ride Science Camps, TOYchallenge, and the Sally Ride Science Club. To learn more about Sally Ride Science, visit www.SallyRideScience.com or call (800) 561-5161.

California Institute of Technology Founded in 1891, Caltech is located on a 124-acre campus in Pasadena. The Institute also manages the nearby Jet Propulsion Laboratory and operates several other off-campus astronomical, seismological, and marine biology facilities. Caltech has an enrollment of some 2,000 students, more than half of whom are in graduate studies, a faculty of about 280 professorial members and 62 research members, and some 570 postdoctoral scholars. Caltech employs a staff of more than 2,500 on campus and 5,000 at JPL.

U.S. News & World Report consistently ranks Caltech's undergraduate and graduate programs as being among the nation's best. The average SAT scores of members of recent incoming freshman classes have consistently been among the highest in the country. Over the years, 32 Nobel Prizes and five Crafoord Prizes have been awarded to faculty members and alumni.

###

Media Contact: Toni DiMartino Jill Perry (858) 638-0960 (626) 395-3226 [email protected] [email protected]

Visit the Caltech Media Relations website at: http://pr.caltech.edu/media