The good news is that recent research, such as the "Closing the
STEM Gap" report, is paving the way for educators and those of us in
youth development to reverse this decline.
of girls believe that jobs requiring coding
and programming are ‘not for them.’” In
high school, that percentage jumps to 40
percent. By the time they’re in college, 58
percent of girls count themselves out of
these jobs.
The good news is that recent re-
search, such as the “Closing the STEM
Gap” report, is paving the way for educa-
tors and those of us in youth develop-
ment to reverse this decline, by following
these specific actions.
1
Girls need positive role models in the
STEM fields. If you are a woman in a
STEM field, think about volunteer-
ing at your neighborhood school or
an organization that serves girls. If
you would like to identify a men-
tor for your daughter, contact the
human resources department of any
STEM-related company. It may have
a program that connects its female
employees with girls. Additionally,
UC Davis participates in the Million
Women Mentors, a national program
for those interested in being a mentor
or those who want a mentor.
2
Provide extracurricular, hands-on
and practical activities for girls to
explore STEM. Of girls who partici-
pate in STEM activities, 75 percent
understand what types of STEM jobs
are available, according to the report.
That is 22 percent more than girls who
do not take part in STEM activities.
In the Sacramento region, there are a
few options for after-school programs
that are exclusively for girls. Girls Who
Code, Code Ninjas and Girl Scouts are
some, and there are also coed oppor-
tunities available.
3
Encourage girls to participate in
STEM. The report says, “girls who
are encouraged by their parents and
teachers are much more likely to take
STEM and computer science classes
than girls who aren’t.” And because
STEM fields are still mostly occupied
by men, it is important for the girls’
male relatives — fathers, uncles,
brothers, cousins — to say, “This is
for you too.” According to the report,
girls who have been encouraged “are
more than twice as likely to consider
studying computer science in high
school, and they’re (three) times as
likely to say they’ll study computer
science in college than those who
have no encouragement.”
4
Pay attention to what girls say about
STEM. The researchers found this
to be the most important action we
can take. We need to develop a better
understanding of why some girls and
young women thrive in STEM studies
and careers and why others don’t.
There is change on the horizon as
more research and programmatic dol-
lars are committed to understanding
and supporting girls in STEM. Last year,
three professors from Sacramento State
— Aaminah Norris, an assistant profes-
sor of teaching credentials; Anna Baynes,
an assistant professor of computer sci-
ence; and Deidre Sessoms, a professor
of education — launched Girl Power by
Design, funded by a National Science
Foundation grant, aimed at increasing by
75 percent girls’ participation in the In-
formation and Communication Technol-
ogies academies and pathway programs
offered at several high schools in the Elk
Grove Unified School District. And Beth
Broome, UC Davis’ senior adviser to the
provost for STEM strategies, is leading a
grant-funded initiative called Snap the
Gap, serving nearly 15,000 girls across
the state. The initiative uses hands-on
learning and mentorship to narrow the
STEM opportunity gap.
Girl Scouts now has more than 80
badges directly related to STEM, includ-
ing cybersecurity, robotics, engineering
and citizen science. Girl Scouts Heart of
Central California has STEM centers in
Sacramento and Modesto and recently
launched a mobile STEM center to better
reach girls in underserved communities
within the 18-county region the organi-
zation serves.
It doesn’t take much to make a differ-
ence in girls’ attitudes and beliefs about
STEM. Acting now will help develop girls
who are not only comfortable engaging
with STEM, but will be primed to lead
the future of it.
Linda Farley is the CEO of Girls Scouts
Heart of Central California. She has a
master’s degree from Michigan State
University with a focus on education
technology and a doctorate of education
degree from the University of St. Thomas.
She can be reached at linda.farley@
girlscoutshcc.org.
As a woman or girl, what is your
experience with STEM?
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