To ensure we continue to discover important medical breakthroughs, pioneer groundbreaking technologies, and address global environmental challenges, we must attract the brightest minds to STEM fields. However, it's been shown that girls and young women lose interest in math and science as they move through their school years, leading to fewer women in STEM-focused careers.
As someone who has devoted her career to building educational solutions that inspire all students to learn, I'm passionate about developing curricula that help girls stay engaged in these subjects and see themselves in STEM careers one day. The unfortunate truth, according to research, is that women, along with Black and Hispanic workers, are underrepresented in STEM professions. Women comprise only 28% of the STEM workforce in the United States.
With jobs in STEM fields expected to grow twice as fast as those in non-STEM fields, there's a window of opportunity for young women to step into this rapidly growing sector. However, if current trends persist, women face exclusion from professional opportunities.
The key to shifting stereotypes lies in teaching math and science in a way that better engages girls. Here are three ways educators and parents can guide girls and young women toward the "on ramp" to STEM subjects.
Spark STEM Interest Early
While the most recent NAEP testing data shows no measurable difference in science aptitude between fourth grade boys and girls, the gap between male and female students widens by three points by 12th grade. This shows that when it comes to math and science achievement in K–12 education, the gender gap only widens as school years progress.
The upshot is that it's essential to not only spark interest in math and science from a young age, but also provide ample support and options for student engagement. The earlier we expose young girls to high-quality math and science curricula, the more likely they are to pursue STEM careers.
With a greater understanding of gender achievement gaps in math and science, we can begin to dissolve gender stereotypes and break the barriers to entry that leave girls and young women believing these subjects aren't meant for them. We must create learning environments that are inherently inclusive and supportive of all students.
Diversify Representation
Representation matters. When girls don't see themselves in their instructional materials or on their classroom walls, long-standing stereotypes of male-dominated careers can become self-fulfilling prophecies.
Elevating stories of female heroes in STEM fields can shape girls' perceptions of their own limitless potential. Highlighting role models such as physicist and chemist Marie Curie, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize, mathematician Katherine Johnson, one of the first Black women to work at NASA, and biochemist Jennifer Doudna, a pioneer in developing the gene-editing technology CRISPR, can demonstrate women's impact on society and the careers they're capable of pursuing.
Parents are also crucial in helping to build students' confidence in math and science. A 2018 Microsoft study revealed that girls and young women are twice as likely to stay in STEM subjects when they're supported by their parents. The study also found that peer pressure was an underlying factor for young girls losing confidence and engagement in these subjects. Diverse role models and mentors have the potential to ease the effects of peer pressure and inspire young girls to pursue STEM careers.
Connect Creativity to STEM
Engaging students with creative, hands-on activities isn't just academic. Educators agree that linking experiential learning and even play to math and science lessons can make a difference for young students. STEM-based education further incorporates hands-on learning with real-world applications to develop creativity and other 21st-century skills.
A short class field trip such as a neighborhood walk can provide opportunities for STEM learning. walkSTEM, a resource provided by one of our nonprofit partners, takes the class walk idea further with place-based explorations and app-enabled tours to grow STEM mindsets.
Creative learning experiences is one way to counter another of the Microsoft study's findings: 91% of girls and 80% of young women think of themselves as creative, with 72% and 66% of them respectively noting the need to pursue a career that directly makes an impact in the world. Yet far fewer believe STEM-based jobs offer creativity or make a difference in the world.
Women like Dajae Williams, a content-creation partner for Savvas Learning Company's K–12 Science programs, are looking to change that narrative. Growing up, Williams wanted to become a music producer. Instead, her mother encouraged her to pursue engineering, where she found a rewarding outlet for her creativity.
Williams, who went on to become a NASA engineer, now combines her engineering success with her love for music as a rapper, inspiring young Black students, particularly girls, to explore STEM fields. Her educational music makes math and science concepts come alive through humor, hip hop, and connections. When she tells girls about her experience as a NASA engineer, they often respond by saying they don't like math or science but grow excited by the prospect of working in the space industry — a role they had never envisioned themselves in before.
STEM careers offer an exciting world where women can use their creativity and curiosity to problem solve. To inspire more girls to dream of pursuing a STEM-related job, it is important that we engage them early, provide them real-life role models, and encourage them along their journeys.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
