JIVE and ASTRON host annual "Girlsday 2011"

On 14 April, JIVE and ASTRON hosted the annual "Girlsday". 

32 female middle school students from the north of the Netherlands came to JIVE and ASTRON to learn about careers in astronomy and engineering. Among other activities, participants talked with staff about radio astronomy and VLBI, chatted live with Dutch-speaking female astronomers abroad, tried VLBI for themselves with JIVE's virtual radio interferometer, and built their own radio receivers.

Girls' Day is a European initiative aimed at sparking girls' enthusiasm for technology, beta and ICT, and takes place annually on a Thursday in April. On Girlsday, young girls can experience that working in science and technology is fun and challenging. More information about Girlsday can be found on www.girlsday.nl.