08/29/2021 – Thrive Global
“How is the US doing with regard to engaging girls and women in STEM subjects? Can you suggest three ways we can increase this engagement?
We see a lot of wonderful organizations, like Girls Who Code and GirlStart, that are focused on helping girls and women engage more with STEM subjects, which is very promising. If we want to continue increasing engagement, we also need to have:
- Better representation in film, media, literature, politics and advertising — Youth need to see themselves in these mediums, and the more we share stories of women in STEM, the more our young girls, and the disenfranchised, will be able to see themselves in those roles.
- Female and Minority STEM teachers — This ties back to representation at the most basic level. Historically, men have taught math and science, just as women have leaned towards ECE and elementary education. This needs to change, so that students have a female STEM role, or a person of color, as their model right in front of them.
- Cross-curricular connections — Incorporating STEM content into English, the Arts, and history classes benefits everyone, and it’s something that teachers and administrators can accomplish through collaboration.”