Young Women in STEM (Continued from page 18)
Adult Online Education (Continued from page 19)
National Center for Education Statistics.
Demonstrating to teenage girls that there are
women who will support them through their
journey in STEM is an important part of
HerWorld's objective.
This year for National HerWorld Month, DeVry
University is partnering again with Mayim
Bialik, best known for her television roles on
"The Big Bang Theory" and "Blossom." The
renewed partnership between Bialik and DeVry
is a natural fit given Bialik's own STEM
background: she earned her Doctorate of
philosophy in neuroscience in 2007.
once enrolled in the program.
Build a support network - Earning a college
degree doesn't just involve the student. The
student's family, employer and friends are also
involved, both directly and in supportive roles.
Gain their buy-in and look for ways to involve
them in your education. Setting up study
times with your children or leading a case
study discussion at work are just two of the
ways you can involve other stakeholders in
your education.
Enhance time management skills - Strong
time management skills help students avoid
being overwhelmed when they add school
work and classes to an already busy schedule.
Before starting a program, set aside specific
hours during the week that are dedicated to
school work. As the program starts, review
deadlines and establish mini deadlines to
accomplish smaller parts of each assignment
to help break up the project.
Leverage the network - Once a degree is
earned, networking can help you get the most
out of what you have learned. Universities are
setting up their own academic social networks
leveraging LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to
provide ongoing career support and connect
alumni, students and faculty members.
For the nearly half of working adults who are
interested in taking an online course, plugging
into online education is easier than ever before.
Now you can receive real-time alerts when grades
are posted or participate in a discussion forum
with classmates around the world - all before that
morning cup of coffee has finished brewing.
"My biology tutor on the set of 'Blossom' was a
tremendously significant mentor for me,
inspiring me to look at science and my
academic skills in a different way," says Bialik.
"Though I am currently employed primarily as
an actress and not a neuroscientist, I still
benefited from a role model showing me what I
could achieve in the sciences. I think young
girls today deserve the same thing and I want
to give them the confidence they need to
succeed in STEM."
The STEM industry has garnered national
attention recently, most notably in President
Obama's 2014 State of the Union Address.
"Teachers and principals in schools from
Tennessee to Washington, D.C. are making big
strides in preparing students with skills for the
new economy - problem solving, critical
thinking, science, technology, engineering, and
math," says President Obama. "Some of this
change is hard. It requires everything from
much more challenging curriculums and more
demanding parents to better support for
teachers and new ways to measure how well
our kids think, not how well they can fill in a
bubble on a test. But it's worth it - and it's
working."
To learn more about University of Phoenix
education programs, as well as find additional
resources, visit www.phoenix.edu.
“Today's technology makes
education more personalized,
more social and more
accessible than ever before.”
HerWorld is part of this national momentum.
Bialik and guest speakers who are role models
from a variety of STEM backgrounds will show
high school girls how they can apply their skills
and intelligence to unique and interesting
careers in STEM. Programs like HerWorld
(Continued on page 23)
April 2014
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