Fewer women than men work in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) fields, and that’s a problem. STEM jobs are predicted to grow more than eight percent by 2025, so it’s an important field to consider working in.
So, how do you get girls to consider STEM positions when they’re still young enough to choose a career?
Let’s go through how to encourage girls in STEM.
Show Examples
A good way to encourage girls to participate in STEM is to show them examples of famous women figures from STEM history. That way, they’ll have someone to emulate. Some important women in the history of STEM include:
- Katherine Johnson
- Mae C. Jemison
- Margaret Hamilton
- Lillian Gilbreth
- Ellen Ochoa
- Chien-Shiung Wu
- Lise Meitner
- Sally Ride
- Ada Lovelace
- Grace Hopper
- Barbara McClintock
- Elizabeth Garrett Anderson
- Beatrice Shilling
- Alice Augusta Ball
You can also introduce them to female role models in your own community. They may be available to help mentor young girls who are interested in STEM.
Give Her Experience
Some girls may feel intimidated by the world of STEM. Being exposed to more about STEM can help them get over their fear and get interested in the processes. Encourage the young women in your life to sign up for STEM classes or boot camps.
There are other related skills that can help girls succeed in STEM. Click here to learn more.
Encourage Her
Sometimes girls are pushed out of STEM fields because of a lack of support. Gender stereotypes dictate that women should be working in arts fields, or staying home with kids.
So, offer the girls in your life plenty of encouragement when they’re working on STEM projects. Celebrate all of their successes, and help them overcome any setbacks or failures.
This also means that you should discourage girls from competing too much with one another. A little competition is always great, but society often teaches women that there can only be one to succeed. That’s simply not true. Teaching girls to work together and help each other can help to increase the number of women who go into STEM jobs.
Show Why It’s Important
It’s important to understand why STEM is important, and how it shapes parts of our world. Talk to her about how STEM skills can be used to combat climate change, for example. You can discuss how we need certain types of engineers to design cities and keep our transportation running smoothly.
This way, girls will understand how STEM can benefit the whole world, and that it’s really not just a pathway for better career opportunities.
Get More Girls in STEM Today
Traditionally, STEM fields have been male-dominated, but it’s high time we changed the trend. With these tips, you’ll be able to encourage the young women in your life to become girls in STEM.
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