Students Invited to Dig into Hands-on Science at Sally Ride Science Festival at Santa Clara University

(San Diego, CA) - On March 29 at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif., local girls will learn how to extract DNA from a strawberry, take apart a computer, and search for life on other planets. The twist? These young scientists are not college students; they are upper elementary and middle school students attending the Sally Ride Science Festival. The festival, which is open to the public and runs from 11 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., is presented by Sally Ride Science™, an innovative science content company dedicated to fueling girls' and boys' interests in science, math and technology.

The Sally Ride Science Festival at Santa Clara University will bring together hundreds of upper elementary and middle school girls, parents and teachers for a day of science and socializing. The festival features an inspiring talk by astronaut Janice Voss, discovery workshops for students given by local scientists and engineers, and workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support students' interests in science and math. The festival also includes a street fair with hands-on activities, booths, food and music.

Dan Lewis, Associate Professor of Computer Engineering and Campus Coordinator of the Festival says, "Our continued partnership with Sally Ride Science provides an opportunity to help today's youth discover the fun and excitement of science and engineering. Women and minorities are under-represented in the discipline, and the nation's future economic competitiveness demands that we increase the number of people who choose to pursue a career in technology. We see the Festival as another opportunity to help make a positive impact on that situation."

The cost is $18 and advance registration is required. The registration fee includes the featured talk, workshops, lunch and the street fair.

About Sally Ride Science

Sally Ride Science is an innovative science content company dedicated to fueling girls' and boys' interests in science, math and technology. Dr. Sally Ride, best known as America’s first woman in space, founded the company in 2001 to create quality programs and products that educate, entertain, engage and inspire. Our programs include Sally Ride Science Festivals, TOYchallenge, Educator Institutes, summer camps, and after-school programs. Our publications include award-winning science books, science career books, and innovative Classroom Sets to supplement science instruction. Our publications and programs bring science to life and show kids that science is creative, collaborative, fascinating and fun. For more information go to www.SallyRideScience.com or call 1-800-561-5161.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California's Silicon Valley, offers its more than 8,685 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus master's and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master's universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.