The Beacon Street Girls Blast Off With Sally Ride Science
Partnership Designed to Reach Girls on the Importance of Math and Science
LEXINGTON, MA (May 21, 2007) – B*tween Productions, home of the Beacon Street Girls, and Sally Ride Science (SRS), today announced a partnership designed to nurture girls and their love of math and science. The two companies will kick off the relationship with an exchange of content and resources, a Beacon Street Girls contest to be held in conjunction with the 2007-2008 SRS Science Festivals, and the creation of a new Beacon Street Girls book. Green Algae and Bubble Gum Wars, scheduled for release in 2008, will include a fictional Sally Ride Science Festival, modeled after the real events.
The two organizations will work together on a major marketing initiative. The partners will also identify science and math role models for girls, and provide math and science resources appropriate for kids and parents.
The partnership builds upon the shared goals of the two organizations, providing positive role models and building self-esteem for 9 to 14 year-old girls. The Beacon Street Girls brand provides positive media and strong role models for preteen girls through its award-winning book series, website and line of gifts for girls. Sally Ride Science brings science to life through its innovative Sally Ride Science Festivals, camps, and Out–of–school programs, and its award-winning science and science career book series.
The Facts: Girls & ScienceA lot of attention has focused on the so-called “math and science gap” between boys and girls. The truth is that girls and boys start their education with equal interest and ability in math and science. But over time, a higher percentage of girls drift away from these subjects, even though they have not lost their aptitude for them. The decline in interest in science and math by some girls as they grow older stems primarily from social pressures and societal stereotypes. According to the National Science Foundation (2002), many girls don’t picture themselves as future scientists or engineers. They don’t put a female face on these professions because they rarely see real-life or media images of female scientists. “The experts available through Sally Ride Science are a fantastic resource for our audience,” said Addie Swartz, founder and CEO of B*tween Productions. “By partnering with SRS, we can create a more richly detailed experience for girls everywhere. Our characters are capable of generating intense excitement and genuine enthusiasm for math and science. By embedding important messages in our fun, fictional universe , we can reach girls who may have been previously uninterested in or discouraged from pursuing math and science. Their interest and pursuit of math or science as a career is important to their future and ours.” “By working with the Beacon Street Girls, we feel we are able to extend our reach and better accomplish our goals,” said Sally Ride, former astronaut and founder of Sally Ride Science. “The Beacon Street Girls have a place in the hearts and minds of the preteen girl at a time when she really needs extra support if she is to move forward in the sciences. The fictional world of the Beacon Street Girls is a great place for us to hold one of our festivals and show girls that science is creative, collaborative, fascinating and fun.”
About Sally Ride Science
Astronaut Sally Ride founded Sally Ride Science (SRS) to inspire the large number of girls who are, or might become, interested in science, math, and technology. The company creates innovative science experiences for girls that empower them, engage them, and encourage their interests. Current programs include Sally Ride Science Festivals, TOYchallenge, Sally Ride Science Camps, and Sally Ride Science After-School Clubs.
Sally Ride Science also publishes award-winning books that educate, entertain, engage, and inspire girls and boys in science. SRS publications and programs bring role models to life and show kids that science is creative, collaborative, fascinating, and fun. To learn more about Sally Ride Science, visit www.sallyridescience.com or call 1-800-561-5161.
About the Beacon Street Girls
The Beacon Street Girls brand (BSG) provides great books, cool gifts, and a safe and interactive online world designed to celebrate the potential in every preteen girl. The brand was specifically created to empower “tweens,” those girls between the ages of 8 and 13, who are “between toys and boys” Shaped by leading experts in adolescent development and current research on how to positively impact girls’ self-esteem, the Beacon Street Girls offer a fresh, exciting and healthier media alternative to today’s MTV-style world. Super fans in 95 countries and their parents have embraced the Beacon Street Girls as role models who are “just like me.”
Beacon Street Girls books are available wherever books are sold. Beacon Street Girls products are available at www.beaconstreetgirls.com.
Editorial Note: Images available.
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