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Wednesday, November 18, 2009
STEM education for girls grows beyond school boundaries
By Connie Chow; Pat Driscoll; Ruth Bramson
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Seventy five percent of Nobel laureates in science first encountered the lure and power of discovery outside of school hours. But what about all the latent scientists and engineers who may not have ready access to the outdoors, to books, equipment and materials at home or at school, or who may not have parents or adults to provide encouragement and stoke their imagination about possible careers?
We applaud the creation of the Governor’s STEM Council to increase the interest and proficiency of Massachusetts’ students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math. To ensure that the Commonwealth remains an engine of innovation and discovery, the council must adopt what the National Research Council calls an expansive view of “systematic educational reform.” This means recognizing the contributions and synergies of school and out-of-school experiences, including the family and community.
Furthermore, the council should seize the opportunity to change the glaring lack of focus and funding around girls’ development and make STEM education for girls a key priority.
While national equity efforts in STEM in the last two decades have increased participation, they have not resulted in a critical mass of women and people of color entering and staying in STEM majors and careers. According to the National Science Foundation, only 11 percent of engineers and only 26 percent of mathematical and computer scientists in 2007 were female. Women of color make up only 2 percent of female STEM professionals.
In addition, the council must resist the urge to put all its eggs in the school basket but also consider strategies that are nimble enough to expand STEM learning experiences for thousands in the Commonwealth in short order. To assure that all communities can access these opportunities equitably, these strategies must actively break down gender, cultural and structural barriers.
The Girls Coalition of Greater Boston, consisting of non-profit organizations that focus on the development of girls, is at the forefront of out-of-school time STEM programming. Our programs in towns and cities across Massachusetts, based in schools and community centers, provide the high-quality, structured, nonschool environments that make learning fun, improve students’ academic performance, and help them see themselves as future scientists.
We emphasize hands-on, project-based explorations. We can choose to present interdisciplinary topics relevant to students’ lives and have the flexibility to go “off track” so a girl can follow her curiosity. Our smaller group sizes and student-to-adult ratios favor discussion and reflection.
More distinctively, each of our programs adopts a “whole girl” approach where girls’ socio-emotional development is considered in relation to, rather than apart from, science learning. This builds resilience and confidence that can counter negative influences that dissuade them from science.
We also create safe spaces where girls can try on and incorporate their science and other identities, something they seldom do in school. An increasing body of research supports this strategy as particularly important for those who are not from the dominant culture. This approach is further strengthened by the incorporation of mentors/role models, many of them who are women in science, who encourage and inspire girls to pursue STEM careers.
Indeed, the flexibility of these and other after school programs can facilitate school-day STEM education reform. For example, after school programs can serve as training grounds for pre-service elementary and middle school teachers to create gender-sensitive classrooms. By engaging students as mentor-guides, after school programs can also stimulate their interest in teaching, and better prepare others for programs such as Teach for America.
Last month, President Obama affirmed the primacy of investing in STEM while acknowledging that some may consider it “a luxury at a moment defined by necessities”. When our economy and our security, our earth and our children’s future are at stake, it is imperative that we take a long-term view and employ all means at our disposal to “ensure that we are encouraging…the next generation of discoverers.”
Connie Chow is executive director of Science Club for Girls and Pat Driscoll is executive director of Girls Incorporated of Lynn. Ruth Bramson is the CEO of Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. They are leader-members of the Girls Coalition of Greater Boston.
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