GIRLSTART'S MISSION IS TO INCREASE GIRLS' INTEREST AND ENGAGEMENT IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH (STEM) THROUGH INNOVATIVE, NATIONALLY-RECOGNIZED INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS. BY EMPOWERING MORE GIRLS TO CONTINUE STEM STUDIES, WE CAN HELP ADDRESS OUR NATION'S STEM WORKFORCE INEQUITIES AND IMPACT INNOVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN AMERICA AND ACROSS THE GLOBE. OUR VISION IS TO BE VIEWED AS THE LEADING NONPROFIT PROVIDER OF INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR GIRLS IN THE NATION. WE WILL SECURE THIS REPUTATION THROUGH INNOVATIVE, HIGH QUALITY PROGRAMS; CREATIVE, CURIOUS, AND COLLABORATIVE STAFF; AND ENGAGED ALUMNAE AND VOLUNTEERS THAT ATTRIBUTE GIRLSTART'S PROGRAMS TO THEIR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS. FOUNDED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, IN 1997, GIRLSTART IS ONE OF THE FEW COMMUNITY-BASED INFORMAL EDUCATION NONPROFITS IN THE NATION SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO EMPOWERING AND EQUIPPING K-12 GIRLS IN STEM. GIRLSTART DEVELOPS AND IMPLEMENTS A RANGE OF INNOVATIVE, RESEARCH-BASED EDUCATION AND MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE GIRLS' EARLY ENGAGEMENT AND ACADEMIC SUCCESS IN STEM, ENCOURAGE POSTSECONDARY ASPIRATIONS AND PERSISTENCE IN THE STEM PIPELINE AMONG WOMEN AND OTHER UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS, AND DEVELOP A DIVERSE STEM WORKFORCE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY. SINCE ITS INCEPTION, GIRLSTART HAS SERVED MORE THAN 25,000 GIRLS AND 5,500 TEACHERS AND FAMILIES THROUGH SCHOOL- AND COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS--HELD AT THE GIRLSTART STEM CENTER IN AUSTIN AND OTHER VENUES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL TEXAS--INCLUDING AFTERSCHOOL CLUBS, SUMMER CAMPS, SCIENCE CAREER CONFERENCES AND EXPOS, LARGE-SCALE SCIENCE EVENTS FOR FAMILIES, TEACHER WORKSHOPS, ONLINE TEACHING AND LEARNING RESOURCES, AND VIRTUAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES. IN THIS PROPOSAL, GIRLSTART REQUESTS SUPPORT ON THE PART OF NASA'S CP4SMP+ PROGRAM TO IMPLEMENT A COMPREHENSIVE SUITE OF INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS THAT DIRECTLY REACH 2,500+ 4TH-8TH GRADE GIRLS AND THEIR PARENTS. THIS PROJECT WILL INCREASE INTEREST IN AND UNDERSTANDING OF STEM DISCIPLINES BY INSPIRING AND ENGAGING GIRLS AND THEIR PARENTS; IT WILL ESTABLISH LINKAGES BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL STEM EDUCATION; AND IT WILL STIMULATE PARENTS TO SUPPORT GIRLS' STEM LEARNING ENDEAVORS BY BECOMING INFORMED PROPONENTS FOR HIGH-QUALITY STEM EDUCATION. OVER THE COURSE OF 4 YEARS--FROM SPRING 2012 TO SPRING 2016--GIRLSTART SEEKS TO DEVELOP NEW, ROBUST, NASA-RICH CURRICULUM FOR ITS NATIONALLY-REPLICATED GIRLSTART SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM, AS WELL AS YEAR-LONG CURRICULUM FOR ITS RECOGNIZED GIRLSTART AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM. CURRICULA WILL BE PREPARED FOR A RANGE OF AGES AND ABILITIES AND INCLUDE LINKS TO ELECTIVES, HIGHER EDUCATION MAJORS, AND CAREERS. GIRLSTART WILL ALSO CONDUCT PUBLIC STEM EDUCATION PROGRAMS THROUGHOUT THE REGION IN NASA CONTENT AREAS. IN ADDITION, GIRLSTART WILL DEVELOP NASA-THEMED, HANDS-ON EXHIBITS AT ITS GIRLSTART STEM CENTER IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, GIRLSTART WILL: * INCREASE FACILITY AND MASTERY IN STEM SKILLS. * INCREASE PARTICIPANTS' INTEREST IN PURSUING STEM SUBJECTS AND CAREERS. * INCREASE PARTICIPANTS' UNDERSTANDING AND MASTERY OF THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD AS A SYSTEM FOR PROBLEM SOLVING AND SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. * INCREASE PARTICIPANTS' UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS OF STEM IN EVERYDAY LIFE. * INCREASE PARTICIPANTS' UNDERSTANDING OF HIGHER EDUCATION AS KEY TO EXPANDING CAREER OPTIONS. * INCREASE PARTICIPANTS' CONFIDENCE AND INTEREST IN CONDUCTING STEM ACTIVITIES. * INCREASE PARTICIPANTS AWARENESS OF STEM CAREERS.