Greenlight for Girls Day at the Carnegie Science Center

The Carnegie Science Center was filled with excitement as 125 eager middle school-aged girls filed in for Greenlight for Girls Day. Greenlight for Girls, an organization that aims to spark girls’ interest in the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, was founded by Melissa Rancourt and has an impressive global presence. “All over the world, we have these great days that really make science come to life,” says Rancourt. “Usually what happens is after one day, the kids themselves are saying, ‘OK, when’s the next one?’” For its first time in Pittsburgh, Greenlight for Girls, in partnership with Covestro, hosted the event with a special guest, former White House Executive Pastry Chef Bill Yosses. His initiative, Kitchen Garden Laboratory, connects food to science to engage younger students and promote healthy habits. On the menu for the girls at this particular event was a not-so-average chocolate mousse. “It’s a very short recipe in which we take the cream and eggs out of the chocolate mousse and we make it with chocolate and water,” explains Yosses. The day’s other workshops, though admittedly not as delicious, were packed with fun learning opportunities that portrayed the day’s mission. Says Yosses, “The girls realize that whatever they imagine as barriers can be overcome in their own minds, with their own potential and by believing in themselves.”

Greenlight for Girls, greenlightforgirls.org. Covestro, covestro.com. Kitchen Garden Laboratory, kitchengardenlaboratory.com.