Marketing STEM to Girls
What do we Know?
Kimberly Howard, Ph.D.
University of WI-Madison
Becky Nutt, MSNR
Oneida Nation High School
WGCP Kick-Off 2010
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Providing High Quality Career
Development Opportunities for
Girls
Best Practices in Informal STEM
Education
• As exemplified by 2006 & 2009
WGC projects
Components of Good Career
Development for Girls
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Exposure to the
World of Work
Exploration of Self
Self-efficacy in
Occupational Skills
Awareness of
Personal Values
WGC 2006 project participants
Best Practices in Informal
STEM Education
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Engagement in
STEM activities
Capacity for
building skills and
knowledge
Continuity of
pathways,
resources and
support
ONHS All Girl Rocket Team
WGC 2009 project
Ideas about Abilities
& One’s Performance
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Teach girls that
academic abilities
can be:
• Developed
• Improved
• Expanded
http://www.iowaaea.org/vnews/display.v/ART/49a5b5a285c71
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Provide graded, sequential, and
developmental opportunities for skill
development
http://craigandaliciarich.blogspot.com/
ONHS All Girl Rocket Team
WGC 2009 project
•Create learning environments that:
• encourage students’
curiosity
• make learning,
particularly math
and science,
http://www.wit.ie/News/MainBody,33956,en.html
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Provide training in spatial skills
http://bertmaes.wordpress.com/2010/03/25/10-ways-to-attract-women-to-manufacturing
/
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Provide feedback
• prescriptive
• specific
• informational
Ideas about What Options
are Possible
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Role models from a range of nontraditional careers
Pat Cornelius – Oneida
Mary Ellen Weber, Ph.D.,
M.B.A.
http://www.nd.gov/cte/services/special-pops/equity/projects03-04.html
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Provide models
of women successfully
managing multiple
life roles
niagaracc.suny.edu
http://timemanagementinheels.com/book/
Ideas about What Options are
Acceptable
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Connect academic
learning with real
world applications
• helps students
understand the
relevance of what
they are learning
WGC 2006 project participants
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Provide career development activities that
assist girls in seeing the potential
contribution of various careers
ONHS Wind Generator Project
CSI Chinook –2006 WGC project
More ideas on Best Practice
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Create ways for
everyone to learn
and do science.
• Promote the idea
that diversity
enriches
CSI Chinook –2006 WGC project
• Eliminate barriers
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REMEMBER everything is food for
investigation
Any INTEREST can drive a project
2006 Min-grants
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Women Soar
What Girls Can Do
Wet & Wild
SYSSTAS in Science & Technology
STEPS Camp
Southdale Goes Biotrekking
Girls and Science Careers
GEMS Club
Engineering for Young Women
CSI: Chinook
More 2006 mini-grants
• Critter Care
• Driving with Education
• Pathways to Satisfaction
• Math & Science Careers for Girls
• STEM Little Sister Recruiting Initiative
• Summer Science and Math Academy
• STEM Workshop for Middle School Girls
• Pre College Camps
• Expanding Young Girls Interest in
Technology
2009 mini-grants
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BUILD YOUR OWN COMPUTER
WORKSHOP
DIGITAL BACKPACK
STORYTELLING
ROCKETS FOR SCHOOLS ALLGIRLS TEAM
•X 2
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YWCA GIRLS CLUB
STORYTELLING CAMP
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Recognize “multiple intelligences.”
• Girls learn through a variety of means
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visual, auditory, physical
• Girls learn most readily
when you tap into their
particular gifts.
ONHS Visiting Scientists
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Offer multiple pathways,
formats, and ways to experience
and experiment.
•Use a variety of
approaches and
media that allow
girls to use
different senses.
•As much as
possible, put girls
in charge of their
own learning.
What Girls Can Do
2006 WGC project
•Help them learn
how to learn.
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Encourage girls to ask questions
•Give them the tools
and support to pursue
those questions.
What Girls Can Do
2006 WGC project
•Create spaces where
they can explore
independently, safely
and creatively.
•Help them see how what they’ve done
connects to something they already
know or did.
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BE INTENTIONAL
• Set project goals carefully
• Develop strategies for success
• Evaluate how you’re doing
webarts.in
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BUILD HABITS OF MIND so girls
• know they can learn
• know how they learn well
• recognize the resources available to
them
• seek access to educational and career
opportunities
Some Useful Resources
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National Reports or Publications:
Encouraging Girls in Math & Science: IES Practice Guide. U.S.
Department of Education NCER 2007-2003 (Available at:
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/practiceguides/20072003.pdf)
What it Takes: Pre-K-12 Design Principles to Broaden Participation
in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. (Available
at: http://www.bestworkforce.org/PDFdocs/BESTPre-K12Rep_part1_Apr2004.pdf)
New Tools for America’s Workforce: Girls in Science and
Engineering – National Science Foundation (Available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf0659/nsf0659.pdf)
New Formulas for America’s Workforce 2: Girls in Science and
Engineering – National Science Foundation (Available at:
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf0660/nsf0660.pdf)
Trends in Educational Equity of Girls & Women: 2004. National
Center for Education Statistics (Available at:
http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2005/2005016.pdf)
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Wisconsin-Specific Resources:
Career Clusters & Pathways:
http://dpi.wi.gov/cte/careerclustershome.html
Education Institutions: http://www.wisconsin.gov/state/core/education
Know How to Go-Wisconsin: http://www.knowhow2gowisconsin.org
WI STEM Equity Pipeline Project:
http://www.stemequitypipeline.org/StateTeams/WI.aspx
WI Comprehensive School Counseling Model:
http://dpi.state.wi.us/sspw/scguidemodel.html
WI DPI Career Development links: http://dpi.state.wi.us/cte/cdlinks.html
WI DPI STEM page: http://www.dpi.wi.gov/stem/index.html
WISTEM.org – Wisconsin’s source for all things STEM: www.wistem.org
INFORMAL SCIENCE EDUCATION- BEST PRACTICES
Informal Science Education:
http://www.deltasee.org/trainers/pdfs/Chapter%205%20A%20Discussion
%20Paper%20about%20Informal%20Science%20Education.pdf
NSTA Position Statement:
http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/informal.aspx
MORE HELP
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National Girls Collaborative Project
•www.ngcproject.org
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Upcoming professional development from
Wisconsin Girls Collaborative
• Note topics of interest on conference evaluation
• Look for WGC survey
Thanks
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Any questions?