Support our next generation of female innovators
Through these five insights, we know there are immediate and practical steps that schools, parents, educators, nonprofits, and professionals can take today to enhance girls’ engagement with STEM and computer science.
These steps include:
- Provide more exposure to positive role models and mentors they relate to and aspire to be
- Demonstrate a path forward in terms of turning an interest in STEM and computer science into success in school and in a career
- Support extracurricular STEM activities that teach girls how to create and build confidence
- Provide hands-on experiences and real-world examples in class
- Emphasize the creative aspects of STEM and computer science
- Demonstrate the dramatic impact that STEM and computer science jobs have on the world
- Encourage parents, educators, and others influential in a girl’s life to support and foster interest in STEM and computer science
- Support educators to develop strategies to engage learners who are afraid to ask questions, be wrong, or ask for help
- Listen to what girls say about their challenges and desires
The last bullet may be the most important. We know some girls and young women thrive in STEM and computer science studies and careers, while others are stymied and choose not to continue. As we continue to question why that happens and how to address those reasons, we must keep our focus on the learners and act on what they’re telling us they need.