The challenge to energize and excite girls about the math, science and engineering fields is ever present. Although awareness of the disparity between the education of girls vs. boys in these fields has been examined for years, progress in closing the gap has been slow. The purpose of this paper is to present a program outline that would target the crucial issues around encouraging and supporting female students in the SEM fields.

It was first thought that the place to encourage female students was at end of their high school career. Indeed, research over the years has produced programs that target the female population specifically at the 11 &12^th. grade level and provide awareness to careers. Research on social development in young girls shows that many gender related biases are already set by that point their lives. In early adolescence, girls begin to develop the stereotype attitudes towards males and females that work to shape the career decision that they make. Awareness and exploration of these fields needs to begin as early as possible. Indeed the ideal place to begin is at the Middle School level with at least an entree to these career fields. Many school districts begin the career exploration process at the 8^th. grade level. This should be the natural starting point for promotion of careers in SEM.

In structuring a successful program for high school girls, there are several factors that need to be addressed:

1. Career choices should be extensive and presented as gender-neutral. All attempts should be made to profile females as well as males that have been successful in these fields. As these young women enter the world of work, they will be expected to interact with males and well as other females, and should see career potential as something that will be equal to members of both sexes. Programs should actively recruit successful females in specific fields to address student groups, act as mentors, and serve as advisors to career exploration programs.

 

2. Learning environments should be "safe" places for females. There has been extensive research on teaching methods that exclude or discourage female students. Teachers selected to participate in these programs should at the very least attend a gender equity awareness session, and participate in regular focus groups with other teachers to discuss the most effective method for encouraging girls.

 

 

3. The physical environment of the classroom should be "female friendly". Does the equipment to be used in the class accommodate females? Are tables too long to reach across; are lab benches too high? Has appropriate instruction on use of equipment, including computers, graphing calculators, scientific lab equipment, etc. been provided? Do the girls have an appropriate knowledge level to comfortably utilize all the available and necessary equipment?

 

4. Does the instruction contain element that would interest girls? Can the math, science and engineering curriculum be structured to include references to elements common in the lives of high school girls?

 

 

5. Has the need for a high paying career been properly stressed to girls? Many times, career fields and their economic potential are presented, but the need for females to actively pursue them is either down played or ignored. Statistics today show that girls as well as boys need to pursue careers that will allow them to be self-supporting and earn a living wage. The percent of households headed by females is increasing daily, and currently, many of those households subsist at or below the poverty level. Unfortunately, the message to many of our young women today is that there will be a man in their lives to provide for them, and that a high paying career is not really necessary.

 

6. Information on job coping skills should be provided. Research show that men and women interact and work together differently. Effective strategies for working with the members of both sexes should be taught, discussed, and practiced as part of the career exploration experience. Females who are successful members of these career fields should be brought in as speakers to student groups to share how they interact in their workplaces.

 

7. History should be addressed and discussed. Many times, programs will profile females from history who have contributed to science, math, and engineering fields. I believe that to provide an accurate picture, girls need to know that the cultural attitude of the past in many cases ignored and never documented females who excelled in these fields. Sometimes the contributions made by women were actually attributed to men because it was not thought to be "proper’ for a women to pursue these activities. Girls today need to understand the long struggle that women have had to be recognized for their achievements, and to learn to accept recognition for a job well done.

 

8. Interaction with programs that promote self-esteem and advancement for girls should be encouraged. Resources such as the girl scouts should become part of a successful program.

 

9. Professional women’s societies should be tapped for speakers, mentors, and leadership.

 

10. Special attention should be paid to exploring how girls learn. We know that girls are natural communicators and that personal interaction is a way that they share information. Traditional instruction may need to be replaced with project base learning environments, where students work in teams, actively communicate to problem solve, and share ideas and work with others. While this learning strategy actually mirrors a real world environment, it is not utilized as often as it could be.

The actual design of an effective program is profiled below:

The E-Cubed program is a tri-level program where girls experience, explore, and expand on their interests in the Science, Engineering, and Math areas. While the core of this program is dedicated to the high school female student, the seeds of interest are presented in middle school. It has three major components; academic instruction, staff development, and evaluation.

8^th Grade

Students begin the career exploration process by working with teachers and guidance counselors to identify interests, skills, and values. To supplement these standardized activities, several sessions would be held that address the following topics:

1. Hot careers of the future in the SEM fields
2. Breaking down stereotypes in career planning
3. The multifaceted roles that adult women play in today’s world
4. Academic skills and competencies necessary to enter college programs in SEM

Half-day "shadowing experiences are arranged for girls in SEM fields identified by their career exploration

Classes include lessons that talk about women who have contributed to the different science, engineering and math fields in the past. As a complementary activity, women currently employed in these fields address the class, and include their experiences in becoming successful in what many consider a "male dominated" field.

In preparation for high school, an SEM exploration day is held on a nearby college campus, where girls can become familiar with the "tools" used in high school SEM classes, visit college classes in SEM programs, and interact with female college students pursuing SEM programs.

Summer Science, Engineering, and Math camps are developed and held on college campuses. Using a project based learning approach, these camps provide opportunities for girls to explore these fields, learn more about research techniques, and perfect their problem solving skills

9^th.Grade

All science, math, technology, and pre-engineering classes include project based learning modules. Connection to real world experiences is made as often as possible. Math classes integrate female friendly topics, and offer safe environments for female students to ask questions, receive extra instruction, and offer advanced/ enrichment opportunities to female students. Science, pre-engineering, and math classes include trips to college campuses to learn about post secondary programs in the SEM areas. Speakers from local businesses visit classrooms to talk about the need for these skills in the workplace.

Career focus groups, jointly hosted by the girl scouts or other community groups, are available to girls as after school activities.

Career evenings for girls and their parents are held at school. Together, the girls and their parents explore the career development process, listen to speakers talk about high placement career fields, and participate in focus groups that encourage everyone to discuss issues critical to a girl’s success in the SEM fields

Summer camps this year take on a career focused perspective. Girls spend a week learning about career options, participating in hands-on activities, and interacting with professionals in their areas of interest. Mentoring to all "campers" will be available in person, over the phone, and via the Internet.

10^th Grade

SEM focused academics continue to promote real world connections to the classroom. Guest teachers, from local colleges and businesses instruct units of the curriculum, and pay special attention to the contribution that females make in these areas. Internships in the SEM areas are developed and targeted to female students. A Celebration of Women day is held on the high school campus, where female students who have made academic achievements are honored. Students government associations on the high school campus recognize gender equity on their campus as a priority, and a zero tolerance attitude towards discrimination and or harassment of fellable students is adopted by the school district. After school career focus groups continue, and successful guest speakers from the local business world address the group. Guidance counselors actively work with female students to recruit them into higher level science, math, and technology classes.

Summer camp this year blends more career information gathering with intense hands-on experience. At least half of the time will be spent in a mini- internship with a local company. As girls begin their initial experiences in the world of work, focus sessions are held for the girls to discuss and share their experiences.

11^th Grade

Girls enrolled in Math, Science and Engineering classes are paired with a mentor from the local university or company. Attention is given issues that girls may be confronting in these classes. Each girl completes one long-term project that requires interaction with professionals in local businesses, recognized professionals nationwide, and professors and students from the local college or university. These projects are structured as closely as possible to real life experiences and are developed by the student.

Guidance counselors and mentors work with girls to encourage them to enroll in higher level math. science and engineering classes. College level classes are suggested whenever appropriate.

Visits to college campuses are arranged, where girls visit programs of interest and talk to female professors and students about the transition to college and career options in their fields of interest.

A ceremony is held at the end of the school year in which girls are honored for their achievements in math, science, and engineering.

All girls are given the opportunity to participate in summer internship programs that have been matched to their academic interests.

12^th. Grade

Mentoring for girls in upper level SEM classes continues, as does the focus groups, and interaction with professionals in the local community. Senior girls volunteer to become tutors and mentors to younger girls in science, math, and engineering classes. They receive training as mentors, and qualities of leadership.

College visits continue and information nights are held for girls and their parents. Workshops on completing application forms and financial aid are held. Information on scholarship programs targeted to girls is provided. All girls are actively encouraged to attend college.

Special evenings are held where girls meet with female college students to learn about and discuss the transition to college life. All girls are given the opportunity to spend a least an overnight on a college campus, attend classes, and experience college life.

A crucial piece to providing a gender equal education for girls is to ensure that their teachers are properly trained to instruct in a gender-neutral manner. As the responsible adult in all academic environments, they must also monitor the classroom to ensure that sexual harassment does not occur, and that girls are given every possibly opportunity to excel. To provide this environment, the following workshops would be a required part of the staff development process for all teachers.

Creating a Gender Neutral Classroom- This workshop would identify common behaviors that

Some teachers exhibit that suppress and/or discourage girls from participating in the classroom. Additionally, it would suggest positive activities and behaviors that would encourage girls to actively contribute and excel.

Issues in Adolescence- This workshop would explore the developmental process of teenagers, and would specifically focus on identifying the problems that girls deal with. It would offer signs to look for, and strategies for assisting the student with receiving the help necessary to cope with the problem. Strategies for encouraging self-esteem and a positive attitude towards academic achievement would be given.

Zero Tolerance of Harassment – This workshop would profile some of the most common as well as the "hidden" forms of sexual harassment. Teachers would learn how to look for and deal with sexual harassment of students by other students in the classroom. As a part of the zero tolerance attitude adopted by the district, sexual harassment issues would be treated like other inappropriate behavior in the classroom, and offenders would be sent to the office. Teachers would be given strategies to diffuse such a situation in the class. A special part of this workshop would address sexual harassment by other teachers in the school. Teachers would learn how to identify and report inappropriate behavior, and would learn about how to advise students who report such incidents to them.

During classroom observations, administrators would look for signs of positive encouragement of girls, as well as discouraging behaviors and comments.

A program designed to address the special needs of girls as they pursue science, engineering, and math fields needs an evaluation instrument that would incorporate components beyond the traditional ones used in academic evaluation. While success in academics would examine test scores, project completion, and standardized test scores, it would also examine instructional environment, teachers’ attitude and behaviors, and the contribution of mentors and other enrichment factors. An ideal evaluation instrument would be developed prior to the program beginning and would involve several parties. Included should be teachers who have received the staff development workshops listed above, administrators who are responsible for academic achievement of all students, parents, female students in grades 9 through 12, female college students, and leaders from community programs.

The main goal of the program is to encourage girls to pursue and excel in science, engineering, and math programs, and should always reference entry level requirements for college. However, equally important goals of this program should be the attainment of self esteem and leadership skills for all girls. As activities, curriculums, and classroom strategies are evaluated, these goals should be kept in the forefront, so as to maintain a true focus.

Evaluation instruments should be completed by teachers and students, and should address factors that contributed to success and failure in classes taken, and decisions to pursue higher level elective classes in science, engineering, and math.

Each year, summaries of the evaluations should be examined by schools and program administrators, and adjustments to programming should be made for the following year.

In summary, if we are to create an ideal environment for girls to experience, pursue, and excel in the science, math, and engineering fields, we must actively work to ensure that all the proper supports are in place. We owe this opportunity to succeed to this sometimes forgotten half of our population. Girls must be given the message that they are intelligent, capable, and deserving of the best education and the highest paying jobs of the future. They must be re-assured that their goals are important and achievable, and that they are necessary contributing members of society.