New School Established to Encourage Girls in Math and Sciences

SEATTLE -- A new independent school designed to ignite girls' interest in math, science and technology will open in Seattle's central area next fall, thanks to the efforts of local parents, educators and a $500,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The Seattle Girls' School, one of less than a half-dozen all-girls middle schools in the state, is currently accepting applications for 6th graders and will hold an open house for interested parents and students at 3 p.m., Saturday, November 11 at Miller Community Center, 330 19th Avenue East. The school offers girls of all backgrounds a well-rounded curriculum that integrates math, science, and technology into all subjects. With the help of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other supporters, the Seattle Girls' School plans to offer scholarships to at least one-third of its students.

"Studies show that girls and boys are equally interested in the math and sciences until about 5th grade. Then we start losing the girls. Research into the cause points to gender biases both in the method of instruction and in the curriculum," explained Karen Lane, chair of the school's board of trustees. "Seattle Girls' School offers young women a learning environment that emphasizes critical thinking and draws out their interests and strengths."

The establishment of Seattle Girls' School comes as part of a resurgence of all-female schools in America. Traditional girls' schools all but disappeared from this region in the 1970s, according to Lane. One of the only other all-girls middle schools in operation locally is Forest Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in Bellevue, which has seen its enrollment double since 1991 and still turns away one applicant in three.

Seattle Girls' School, with advisors such as community leaders Sue Donaldson, Tina Podlodowski, Rita Ryder, Jonelle Johnson and Grace Chien, is not a return to the past. "This is not your mother's girls' school. This is a school that will prepare young women for life in the new millennium and the new economy," emphasized Lane.

Seattle Girls' School will be led by Head of School Marja Brandon, who was educated at Wellesley and Harvard and comes to Seattle from the Northeast with 20 years of experience in middle school education. "Middle school girls have a wealth of interests and incredible potential," said Brandon. "Seattle Girls' School will offer every girl the chance to find her own formula for success. In addition, SGS can serve as a model, a training facility, and an educational resource that collaborates with others throughout the metropolitan area to empower middle school girls."

"Our goal is to bring out the best in girls – it's already there, we teach them how to remove the obstacles to seeing it, believing it, and using it. We'd like to get the message out to all parents that their daughters can develop strong voices, that they need an environment designed for their success, and that parents can help them by recognizing the obstacles that they encounter daily," Brandon added.

For information on Seattle Girls' School, parents can call 206-709-2228 or visit the website.