The local NBC-TV affiliate, WCSH6, was there when local girls in grades 5 through 8 attended a fair at Bates intended to encourage engagement with math and the sciences.

Read Caroline Cornish's Nov. 9 report and watch the video.

Held in Bates' Carnegie Science Hall and welcoming students from four school districts, as well as their parents and teachers, the "Girls Get It!" fair was designed as a fun way for girls to explore the wonders of math and science and spark their imaginations. Activities included hands-on activities, motivational speakers and positive role models.

The fair was part of a larger initiative, sponsored by the Maine Department of Education, that recognizes the need to improve competency in, and promote positive attitudes toward, math and science. The program seeks specifically to inspire young girls to consider careers in these fields by piquing interest through affirmative exposure.