Dominion Resources' $10,000 Grant Funds "Girls in Science" After-School Program in Bridgeport Presented by The Maritime Aquarium

Hands-on after-school insights into the marine world will be available to as many as 120 girls in three Bridgeport schools, thanks to a $10,000 grant from Dominion Resources to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The grant will fund “Girls in Science” programs for girls in Grades 4-8 at Beardsley, Park City Magnet and John Winthrop schools.

Once a week for 12 weeks, Maritime Aquarium educators will meet the girls after school and lead them through explorations of such topics as fish and squid anatomy, marine habitats, water pollution and animal adaptations.

“As the emphasis on preparing young people for careers in science grows nationally, there is also mounting evidence that girls turn away from science in greater numbers than boys,” said Tom Naiman, the Aquarium’s director of education, in thanking Dominion Resources for the grant.

“A dearth of inspiring experiential opportunities in science and a lack of access to female role models seem to be among the causes of that phenomenon,” Naiman said. “At The Maritime Aquarium, we can provide deeply meaningful, relevant, hands-on opportunities to learn science: in the classroom, in front of our live animal exhibits, and on our new research vessel, R/V Spirit of the Sound. We also can provide girls with the opportunity to be mentored by women who have chosen careers in science and science education.”

Schools in Bridgeport were chosen by need. More than 97 percent of the students qualify for free or reduced lunch, and all three schools have a majority of black and Hispanic students, ethnicities that are significantly underrepresented in the sciences.

Naiman said programs will be presented in age-appropriate activities for the girls in grades 4-5 and 6-8.

Dominion Resources’ K-12 Education Partnership program has awarded grants of up to $10,000 each to 77 schools in nine states and the District of Columbia to fund projects related to energy and the environment. The grants are given by the Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion Resources, for the 2014-2015 academic year. 

“Dominion is proud to energize the communities where we operate – not just via our day-to-day operations, but through our employee engagement and charitable contributions too,” said Kevin Hennessy, director of federal, state & local affairs in New England for Dominion Resources, Inc.  “The Maritime Aquarium is a natural partner for us.  It enhances the lives of those in this community via hands-on learning.”

Of the Dominion grants awarded in Connecticut, The Maritime Aquarium was the sole recipient to receive the maximum grant amount.

State Sen. Bob Duff (D-Norwalk) praised Dominion for supporting the Aquarium outreach.

“The Maritime Aquarium is a wonderful educational resource that provides our children with a deeper understanding of the importance of our natural environment,” Duff said. “I want to thank Dominion and the Dominion Foundation for this investment in the education and advancement of Norwalk-area students.”

Dominion and the Dominion Foundation are dedicated to improving the physical, social and economic well-being of the communities served by Dominion companies. (In Connecticut, Dominion Resources is the parent company to Dominion Bridgeport Fuel Cell in Bridgeport, the Millstone Power Station in Waterford and the Somers Solar Center in Somers.) Dominion and the Foundation support nonprofit causes that meet basic human needs, protect the environment, support education and promote community vitality. For more information about Dominion, one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, visit www.dom.com.

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Submitted by Redding, CT

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