All About G.R.O.W.S.

The G.R.O.W.S. program was started in the spring of 2000 by Capital University's provost Dr. Cheryl Ney and 2001 class graduate Mollie Ferbrache.  The idea for a program that brings together undergraduate female science and education majors with middle school girls stemmed from conversations between Mollie and Dr. Ney about the need for support for girls pursuing science in the form of a science fair project.   Mollie had noticed the lack of support and encouragement given to girls who pursued science and math and she and Dr. Ney began to wonder how they could create a mentoring program where middle school girls were given support by female undergrads.  Dr. Ney and Mollie then needed the University's support and to find funding.  Both of these were successfully acquired in the spring of 2000 and the program was set up with each girl receiving her own mentor, who helps her research a scientific topic of her choice, design an experiment, analyze, and report their results.  In this the girls will receive the chance to utilize the labs at Capital University as well as participate in activities and experiments to learn more about the scientific method and the different disciplines of science

This program has grown phenomenally since it's beginning.

The program is now ran by the Education Department's Dr. Erica Brownstien and sophomore Lisa Nichols.

Last year the program was amazing!! We brought seventh grade girls from Franklin Alternative Middle School and Pleasantview Middle School.

More funding for the program was obtained through the Ohio Campus Compact’s Student Fellowship Grant.

This year girls are being brought from a local middle school Columbus Public's Franklin Alternative Middle School.