East County : SIMI VALLEY : Program Helps Girls With Math, Science

Zakiya Darby, a 10th-grader at Simi Valley High School, wants a career in medicine.

But the problem is that, until recently, she was barely passing chemistry and was struggling to get a C in geometry.

“Chemistry confuses me, especially remembering formulas,” Zakiya said.

She is not alone. Many girls begin experiencing difficulties in math and science classes in junior high, said Jacquie Richardson, vocational technician for the Simi Valley Unified School District.

“By 10th grade, most girls give up math and science classes completely, except for the ones they have to take to graduate,” Richardson said.

A number of studies during the last decade show that the barrier to girls reaching their potential in math and science is not a lack of intelligence but a lack of confidence.

Richardson and a handful of teachers and professionals are participating in a program designed to build girls’ confidence and encourage them to pursue math and science careers. Every Tuesday night at Simi Valley High School, they meet with about 25 eighth-, ninth- and 10th-graders.

The school is the only secondary school in California to offer the program, which is funded by a $7,000 grant from the California Department of Education.

Volunteers from local businesses talk to the girls about their professions, and some allow the girls to shadow them at work.

Student participants say they enjoy the visits, but that the most valuable part of the program is the tutoring.

“It’s great to get individual help with my math and science homework from the teachers, and the girls also help each other,” Zakiya said.

Her own grades have improved from a C to a B in geometry and from a D to an A in chemistry.

“When the girls see they can make good grades in math and science classes,” Richardson said, “they feel like they will be able to make it in any career they choose.”