500 Young women at the national Cracking the Glass Ceiling maths and science QUIZ event
Yonni Sidelsky
Did you know that the radioactive element Polonium is named after its discoverer Marie Curie's country of birth? You might not have known that, but the 500 young women who filled the Netanyah city auditorium on March 12th – just a few days after the International Women's Day, easily knew.
The young women, who came to celebrate the educational process they experience as part of Kol Israel Haverim's Cracking the Glass Ceiling program, enthusiastically cheered over 100 of their friends who represented the 18 schools participating in the program all over Israel, in a mathematics and science Quiz.
Cracking the Glass Ceiling is a unique initiative which encourages young women to study Mathematics and Science, aiming to reach a high quality and door-opening Bagrut matriculation diploma. The quiz itself is named after the Energy scientist Professor Colette Lewiner, who together with her husband, Professor Jacques Lewiner, is a long-time committed partner of the program and an enthusiast supporter of science education in general, and for young women in particular.
The electrifying sensation in the hall was accompanied by much excitement when the quiz's host, Ms. Gilat Simon, head of post-primary education in Netanya came on stage and declared the beginning of the contest.
The 9th grade participants competed in the subject of Arithmetic progression and demonstrated quick and impressive mathematical knowledge. The participants were required to weigh a quick answer to each question and send it to the control board that displayed, appropriately for such an event, a statistical analysis of the answers on the main screen.
Next, participants from 9th and 10th grades competed together in a science quiz which focused on inventions made by women scientists throughout history. This was as part of the focus the program puts on roll modeling, and who better to model themselves after than pioneering woman such as Marie Curie, Grace Hopper, Annie Easley and many others.
When the event ended, all seven winning teams from Bat-Yam, Netanya and Mikve Israel went on stage to collect the awards and certificates. The sight of the young women on stage reflected the program's vision of comprehensive collaboration aiming to expand its impact and reach as many young women as possible. "We need to show social responsibility. It is important to make sure women will progress and take part in science and high-tech. I wish you to be successful as well as to help others – educational excellence alongside social responsibility", concluded Dr. Yehuda Maimaran, CEO of Kol Israel Haverim.
