In 2002, pioneering astronaut Sally Ride visited the WGBH studios to talk about her campaign to keep girls interested in science.
> > WATCH the complete interview on Greater Boston
Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, made history when she rode the space shuttle Challenger into orbit in 1983. Not only was she a NASA adviser and lifelong educator, she also founded Sally Ride Science, a venture dedicated to inspiring and teaching young people, especially girls, about science and space.
As we remember her passing after a battle with pancreatic cancer, we turn to the WGBH Archives and this interview on WGBH TV's Greater Boston.
“I think that what people often don't appreciate is that science is curiosity,” Ride said. “If you're a scientist, it's because you're curious about the way the world works. And creative solutions are required. So science is actually a very, very creative discipline, science and engineering.”
Through her organization, Ride wanted to reach out to girls and inspire them to become interested in science.
“I think the whole art to getting girls more involved in science and engineering is to get them to understand that there are lots of ways to solve a problem,” she said. “And if you're curious about something, and you're interested in knowing how something works, or how to get at an answer, then you will be able to have an impact, and those careers are options for you.”
As for the impact of gender, boys and girls might vary in their approaches, Ride said, but that’s even better: “Science will be better off with more approaches to the solutions of the problems."
When asked if she'd like to go back into space, Ride said, “I love the John Glenn model … I may call NASA in 25 years or so, and see if they'd like to send me to Mars.”
