From archaeology to entomology, the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History has a lot to offer visitors of all ages, but not everyone has ready access to the museum and its resources.

Girls At the Museum Exploring Science (GAMES) is a unique program that brings fourth and fifth grade girls from diverse backgrounds in the Boulder Valley School District (BVSD) to the Museum of Natural History to participate in an after school science education and exploration program.

The program was developed to build girls' awareness of the many opportunities that exist for them to be a part of the scientific community and to help them understand the connections between the scientific work done at the museum, their daily lives, and the larger world.

GAMES is supported by a CU-Boulder Outreach Award. In the program, girls interview CU-Boulder scientists at work, go behind the scenes of the museum, and conduct hands-on science activities. After an introductory week and five weeks of visiting different scientists, the girls bring their families to the museum for the seventh visit where the girls act as tour guides showing their families what they have learned and introducing their relatives to museums as a family resource.

“This is an excellent program involving youth from under-represented communities, tenure-track faculty who provide content and participate as role models, and education staff who develop the activities and facilitate the program,” said Patrick Kociolek, director of the CU-Boulder Museum of Natural History and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “Outreach Committee support helps the GAMES program impact the lives of our community members and highlights the work of scientists at CU-Boulder.”

Since its inception in 2003, GAMES has conducted 36 seven-week sessions and has invited more than 400 girls and their families to the museum to partake in the program. 

In a study of past participants, more than 80 percent reported that they liked science more than before they began the program, and more than 70 percent reported that they felt they were “good at science.” Teachers’ observations largely corroborated the girls’ self-reporting. Teachers noticed growth in confidence, interest, and pursuit of science. 

After a decade of offering GAMES to BVSD students, school administrators are eager to coordinate with GAMES organizers. 

“We have established connections at fourteen BVSD elementary schools and the principals at these schools appreciate the fact that this program is free to all participants,” said Cathy Regan, Museum of Natural History education coordinator.

“Teachers and principals are now contacting us to participate, rather than us asking them, demonstrating that they value the program for their students and that there is a genuine need.”