SAN DIEGO – San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering are working on a new initiative to help bring boys and especially girls, face to face with science.

On Wednesday, third grade students at Lindbergh Schweitzer Elementary School held worms and learned how important worms are to the ecosystem. The lesson was part of the “Nifty 50” program, where 50 scientists and engineers work together to develop the next generation in their field.

They’ll be visiting elementary schools across San Diego County over the next couple of months.

National University professor of Mathematics and Natural Sciences Dr. Michael Maxwell held Wednesday’s class.

“A big part of this is really just helping kids get their hands dirty with science,” said Maxwell.

The program also focuses on getting the girls interested in science, as men make up the majority of the industry.

“[The girls] need to know that there’s nothing they can’t do. They are just as qualified and can do anything that they dream of,” said elementary school teacher Mindy Norman.

The initiative also promotes the San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering that goes from March 16 – 23.