The name GEMS, which stands for Girls Excited about Math and Science, aptly captures the essence of this education and youth program at Madison House. Volunteers and Program Directors alike comment on the ability of the program to foster true interest and engagement in elementary school girls as they participate in volunteer-curated lesson plans.
Ashley Ford, a GEMS Program Director
Currently, GEMS operates in four different schools in the Charlottesville community: Agnor Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Murray Elementary, and Woodbrook Elementary. These partnerships are made possible via the Extended Day Enrichment Program (EDEP) through Albemarle County Public Schools.
According to one of the Program Directors, Ashley Ford, there are two forms of service for volunteers. In-person volunteers go to elementary schools every Friday to teach a science lesson and lead an activity or craft to a group of around 10-20 elementary school-aged girls. Lesson planner volunteers, on the other hand, plan lessons and activities, but do not go in person to the schools. “In-person volunteers may also plan lessons if they want to,” Ashley adds.
In fact, curating lesson plans about subjects that volunteers are passionate about is often their favorite part of working with GEMS.
“My second year, I planned a lesson about coral reefs and got to teach that lesson,” says Ashley. “The activity involved [students] making their own coral reef ecosystems out of play-doh, and adding fish and other marine organisms using stickers. It was cool to see how much the girls lit up when learning about the things I am so passionate about.”
Madison House volunteers lead lab experiments and STEM activities with elementary school-aged girls.
Activities planned typically engage the students beyond simple classroom learning.
Volunteer Charlotte Papacosma reflects, “One of my favorite memories at GEMS was when we taught the girls about black holes. They were so curious about them and asked us a million questions. We then made up a game called ‘Black Hole Tag’ with them, where we pretended to be the gravitational field of the black hole and they had to avoid being 'tagged' and sucked in by gravity.”
Similarly, volunteer Kate Tran adds, “My favorite memory with the program would have to be when we did the lesson on force and motion and had the girls make paper airplanes. I just vividly remember how excited the kids were and how much fun I had teaching them how to make the planes.” Kate actually began volunteering with GEMS in high school!
Volunteers connect with the students via simple conversation, not just instruction.
“The other sort of activities include drawing or coloring, and these allow you to sit and talk with [the students], which I love doing,” comments volunteer Madison Hall. “I love learning about them or what other hobbies they have or what weekend plans they have. They have the craziest responses sometimes!”
Volunteers love sharing their own passion for math and science with the girls.
The STEM field is traditionally male dominated. GEMS is crucial in inspiring confidence and interest in these subjects among girls from a young age. Liz Chew, a GEMS Program Director, joined with the goal of demonstrating that science can be for everyone.
“Whether it leads to a future STEM career or simply allows [the girls] to appreciate science in their everyday life, I want them to see that science is for everyone and can be explored at any stage in life!” exclaims Liz.
Madison agrees, “As a girl in STEM, I wanted to be able to help younger girls in the Charlottesville community discover a passion for science as well as establish a foundation for their future learning.”
Ashley herself is planning to pursue a career in STEM and loves to see the young girls pick up on the same interests she has. “After graduating, I am getting my masters in biomedical forensic sciences, which is obviously very math- and science-centric,” says Ashley. “Doing science in a laboratory has always been my dream, so I love watching how the girls react to our experiments and demonstrations.”
GEMS is laying the groundwork for the next generation of women in STEM. By giving young girls the chance to engage with science in a hands-on, accessible way, the program helps build both knowledge and confidence. Whether these girls go on to be engineers, researchers, or mathematicians, GEMS ensures they see STEM as a space where they not only belong, but where they can thrive.
By Cecilia Murphy