A new NASA program designed for 5th through 8th grade girls recently ended its five week pilot session this month. NASA received over 1,600 applications and selected twenty-one girls from twelve states for the NASA Giving Initiative and Relevance to Learning Science (NASA GIRLS) course.

NASA GIRLS is a virtual mentoring program that paired the students with representatives for one-on-one activities without having to leave their homes thanks to the magic of the Internet.

“NASA GIRLS allows young students to work directly with women who successfully have established STEM careers," said NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver. "The program uses technology familiar to the young generation and allows NASA to share its mission in regions where there may not be a NASA center."

Online tools like Skype and Google Chat allowed the girls to complete STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) based lessons and activities with their mentors to inspire the girls to consider STEM careers when matriculating at their chosen colleges.

Sessions included:

-Mathematically calculating the shift of Earth's tilt caused by last year’s March earthquake in Japan.

-Computing the volume of SpaceX's Dragon capsule- the first commercial spacecraft to deliver supplies to the International Space Station in May.

-A challenge to build a robot hand or a Wright Brothers' model airplane together while the student and mentor were virtually connected.

NASA is thrilled with the outcome of their pilot session and will analyze the results with plans to increase the group’s number for a second round.

To learn more about the program and watch for news about the second round please visit the neon-hued (colors like magenta, teal, and yellow the commercial artist Lisa Frank would approve of) accented website: women.nasa.gov/nasagirls

In June and July NASA wrapped up another STEM based program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas called Women in STEM High School Aerospace Scholars or WISH.

WISH shares the same goals as NASA GIRLS but does not provide one-on-one mentoring. Instead WISH brings high school juniors from around the country for an all expenses paid camp and group-mentoring,

After a rigorous application process that began in January and included writing two essays, a letter to their State Senator or Representative that will be forwarded by officials, completing eight lessons, and a final project, forty-eight young women were selected for a six day summer camp with Women@NASA mentors.

NASA hasn’t announced if there will be another two rounds of WISH camp but presumably the application process for 2013 will begin in January.

For more information about WISH please visit their website.