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View Winners → YWCA Pasadena to Kick Off After-School Programs Online with High-Altitude Balloon Launch
Community Apr 24, 2020
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Amid school closures and California’s stay at home order, the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley is ensuring that girls are able to stay engaged with STEAM and get the support they need through this difficult time. YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley has forged on by moving their Girls Empowerment After-School Program online and partnering with Magnitude.io, a company that creates project-based learning opportunities, to launch a high-altitude balloon that girls will be able to track from their homes.
“Ourtop priorities right now are making sure our girls are able to maintain thesupport of our staff and their peers, maintain continuity with their STEAMengagement, and ensure that they are continuing to participate in theirschoolwork.” said Cinthya Martinez, operations and marketing coordinator.“We know parents are concerned about their children losing interest intheir education during this pandemic and we hope to close that gap withexciting special events like our partnership with Magnitude.io.”
The eventcalled “Raise your Sights. See the Possibilities” will see the girlsengage with Manitude.io engineers to launch a meter sized balloon on May 1 at11 a.m. This program is one that Magnitude.io has done with partnerorganizations such as UCLA’s Project Payload and Boyscouts. The balloon has thepotential to go into neighboring states or even all the way around the globe.While the launch takes only about an hour, the girls in the after-school programwill be able to track the balloon’s position, temperature readings, and pressurereadings over the days and weeks it takes to make its journey.
Girls may enroll in the Girls Empowerment After-School Program now to participate in Zoom calls with the engineers before and during the balloon launch. Engineers from around the world will be participating. Interested participants can register at bit.ly/ywlaunch. For more information visit bit.ly/ywlaunchinfo or email Program Manager Jomie Liu at jliu@ywca-pasadena.org.
The general public will also be able to watch the balloon launch at Magnitude.io’s YouTube Page or on YWCA Pasadena’s Facebook page on May 1 at 11 a.m.
This eventis a part of the YWCA’s online Girls Empowerment Program. YWCA has moved itsafter-school program onto Google Hangouts Meet Monday-Thursday. Girls willcontinue to have discussion groups, homework help, STEAM activities and morevirtually during the program.
“We’rereally excited to continue to be a safe place for girls to explore the STEAMdisciplines, while receiving the emotional and educational support that theyneed right now” said Jomie Liu, program manager.
