| Although improvements are being made with the | | | | BrainCake's The Girl Solution Gender Equity Tool Kit. |
| increased involvement of women in science-related | | | | These activities should also be geared more towards |
| careers, there is still a significant under-representation | | | | girl interests. Successful female scientists should be |
| of women, especially among minority women. There | | | | invited to speak to classes, and girl-centered science |
| are a number of factors that contribute to this lack | | | | clubs like the GEMS club should be created to give |
| of women in science in our society, but most of | | | | them the confidence, support, and resources they |
| these factors can be overcome to produce the next | | | | need to achieve success. Furthermore, multi-media |
| Anita Roberts, Sally Ride, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth | | | | resources should be utilized to help make science |
| Blackburn, or YOU. | | | | come alive like watching renowned science programs |
| According to a study entitled, Women in Science, | | | | on television or on DVD like PBS's NOVA and playing |
| Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) by Kristine | | | | interactive games on the Internet like those found at |
| De Welde @ Florida Gulf Coast University and Sandra | | | | Science News for Kids. Parents can also help |
| Laursen & Heather Thiry @ University of Colorado at | | | | encourage their daughters by purchasing science |
| Boulder (2007), several key factors prevent girls | | | | toys, kits, and equipment for them as well as help |
| from entering or being successful in STEM fields. First, | | | | them to do simple experiments at home or for |
| they found that the classroom environments in | | | | science fair projects. In addition, parents and |
| schools were not conducive to encouraging girls to | | | | educators can schedule trips to science museums & |
| pursue interests in these types of careers. Another | | | | summer vacation science camps like Sally Ride's |
| key factor was a lack of female role models who | | | | Camps as well as provide access to good female role |
| could provide encouragement and inspiration as well | | | | models, mentors, & support groups. Finally, everyone |
| as demonstrate how to balance their lives between | | | | can provide encouragement, help girls to set goals, |
| careers and family life. Other significant factors | | | | and create opportunities for them to increase their |
| include girls not being well prepared for the demands | | | | positive science experiences and self-confidence. |
| of these fields as well as not being encouraged by | | | | National Girls Collaborative Project and Expanding |
| people around them. Furthermore, these women | | | | Your Horizons Network are two organizations that |
| experience more discrimination and bias against them | | | | can help make this possible. |
| in the workplace in both hiring practices and in | | | | Another study published in February 2010 called Why |
| opportunities for advancement. These discriminatory | | | | So Few? Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, |
| practices also include differences in salaries between | | | | and Mathematics by Catherine Hill, Ph.D., Christianne |
| women and their male counterparts as well as the | | | | Corbett, and Andresse St. Rose, Ed.D. focus on how |
| practice of seeing women in these positions at a | | | | families, schools, and communities can encourage girls |
| lower status than their male colleagues. Finally, it is | | | | to overcome obstacles to help them enter STEM |
| more difficult in general for women in the workplace | | | | careers. At the same time, in order to overcome the |
| to balance careers and families, but it is even more | | | | gender inequalities and societal stereotypes, it is |
| so for STEM careers because they are often more | | | | important to believe that intelligence isn't fixed, but it |
| time-consuming due to requiring extended education, | | | | is something that can be nurtured and grown which |
| and this can result in the sacrifice of family life or | | | | helps level the playing field and means that girls have |
| career goals for these women. | | | | just as much potential to learn and thrive in these |
| However, these factors don't have to squash a girl's | | | | fields as boys. Another important factor in improving |
| dream to work in the variety of STEM careers. A | | | | girls' chances of excelling in these fields is to provide |
| survey study presented last month (March 2010) by | | | | them with spatial training to increase their spatial skills. |
| Bayer Facts of Science Education XIV, released the | | | | This can be done simply by encouraging them to build |
| main causes for the under-representation of female | | | | things, take them apart, and then put them back |
| scientists in STEM careers as well as pointed out the | | | | together again. Drawing and working with their hands |
| key factors (both positive & negative) that influence | | | | on various projects will also help enhance their spatial |
| girls and women as they journey through the | | | | abilities. |
| education system and workforce. Their hope is that | | | | So how can we encourage more girls into STEM |
| the results will help to "knock down the barriers and | | | | fields? The answers may seem simple, but history |
| provide to all of our budding scientists and engineers | | | | tells us that change isn't easy. The key is for us to |
| the attitudes, behaviors, opportunities and resources | | | | change people's attitudes first and foremost which is |
| that lead to success." (BFOSE XIV 2010) | | | | probably one of the hardest things to do, but it will |
| The findings suggest that the lower numbers of | | | | be well worth it if we do because it will allow us to |
| women in STEM careers can be counteracted by | | | | tap into a reservoir of talented, creative female |
| certain changes. First of all, it is important for schools | | | | minds that can help us soar into the future. Then we |
| to have quality science programs that utilize hands-on | | | | have to provide the opportunities, experiences, skills, |
| materials and experiments, not just learning through | | | | and resources that are necessary to get the job |
| textbooks. This is especially important in poorer | | | | done. If we can't find any in our communities, then |
| school districts where these items may not be readily | | | | we need to look to other communities for help or |
| available. Educators should also be encouraged to | | | | start new ones, and the Internet is full of practically |
| provide more fun science classes and activities, and | | | | infinite resources that we could use to jump-start |
| the district and community should support them and | | | | any idea or program. What are you waiting for? |
| make the necessary resources available like | | | | |