Science, Technology,

Engineering and Math

Why is STEM Education Important for Girls?
In Girl Scouting, a future without math or science just doesnt add up. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that more than 60% of all jobs require some form of technology skills. According to the National Science Foundation, women make up only 25% of the technology workforce. One reason is that academic stereotypes and social environments tend to steer girls away from math and science and toward the liberal arts and humanities. That puts girls at a disadvantage in the job market. STEM jobs in the United States in the past ten years have grown at three times the pace of non-STEM jobs, and are projected to continue growing at this pace through the next decade.

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Girl Scouts Research

The Girl Scout Research Institute has conducted a study on STEM education for girls as a part of the National Program Portfolio tilted, Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, which evaluates the current standing of women and girls involved in STEM, discovers what girls have to say about learning STEM and suggests findings that provide new insights as to how to keep girls engaged in STEM education in the future. Research suggests that despite girls interest in STEM fields of study, women are under represented in STEM fields for various social and cultural reasons.

Heres the Facts

-81% of STEM girls express interest in pursuing a career in a STEM field specifically, in engineering, physical/life science, math, computer science/ information technology, or software development. However, only 13% say that it is their first choice. -57% of all girls say that if they went into a STEM career, theyd have to work harder than a man just to be taken seriously. -20% of young women intend to major in a STEM field, compared to 50% of young men. -According to the American Association of University Women, high school girls and boys perform equally well in math and science. Specifically, high school girls earn more math and science credits than do boys; and girls GPAs, aggregated across math and science classes, are higher than boys. -A study of female engineering college graduates across the United States shows that among an already low 20% of female engineering graduates, only 11% are practicing engineering in this country. -When asked why so many dropped out of engineering fields, participants of the study reasons were due to the intensity of the workplace environment (including long hours, heavy travel time), lack of opportunities to advance in their careers, and low salary. -Girls who are interested in STEM have had greater exposure to STEM fields than girls who are not interested in STEM.

Overall, it seems that the girls who are most interested in STEM take on challenges at many levels. They are challenging themselves in school, and challenging stereotypes and preconceived notions about what girls can and want to do. We need to ensure that more girls have the kinds of support, information, and encouragement needed for them to take on and overcome these challenges that limit their opportunities. -Andresse St. Rose, Ed.D Senior Researcher American Association of University Women (AAUW)