GCU Receives $15,000 from TD Charitable Foundation Grant for Girls’ Science & Math Program

Georgian Court University has been awarded a $15,000 grant from the TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank®, for Girls Involved in Science and Technology (GIST), a program to encourage Lakewood female students to pursue higher education in the science and math fields.

GIST is a hands-on science program held at Georgian Court during the summer for female high school and middle school students from Lakewood Township. Created in 2004, GIST is designed to inspire a serious interest in science and math in young girls and encourage their desire to attend college.

Taught by GCU faculty, the courses and hands-on learning activities focus on the subjects of chemistry, biology, forensics, physics, aeronautics, anatomy, geometry, sustainability, mathematics, and statistical data analysis. Students examine the physics behind rocket launches, the biology of bones, the study of Fibonacci numbers, science behind blood cells, analysis of math and magic, science of atmospheric fundamentals, and physics of bicycles. Approximately 60 to 80 students entering grades 8 to 12 are invited to attend the program each year.

“Georgian Court is strongly committed to helping women advance in the fields of science, technology, and math,” says GCU President Rosemary E. Jeffries, RSM, Ph.D. “Our Girls Involved in Science and Technology program is a way for us to reach out to the young girls in our community and inspire them about opportunities for college and careers in the STEM fields. The GIST program has been very successful over the years and has life-changing potential for these students. Georgian Court is grateful to the TD Charitable Foundation for its support of this important program.”

“Georgian Court’s GIST program enables young female students to learn about science and math in unique ways and helps to inspire them about the possibilities available for women in these fields,” says James Kiernan, market president, TD Bank. “The TD Charitable Foundation is proud to support Georgian Court University and the Girls Involved in Science and Technology program.”