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“We did it last year and there was a lot of students that really, really enjoyed it,” ConnectED Program Coordinator Rene Stratton said. “It is another resource for girls so they can find out what they can do and show them with real world examples.”
A 2017 Astra Women’s Business Alliance survey of Ohio high school students showed less than 15 percent of girls were interested in pursing a STEM degree while more than 45 percent of boys were interested. Closing this gap can be instrumental in women’s lives, American Association of University Women member Joan Elder said.
“We want girls to have at least equal opportunity in those fields,” she said, noting girls tend to lose interest in STEM fields in middle school. “Those are fields that are higher paying. We want to make sure girls understand that they are equally able to purse those kinds of careers.”
Many science, technology and related careers need a more diverse workforce, said Aimee Kennedy, the senior vice president for education, STEM learning and philanthropy at Battelle.
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“Our community benefits from different thinking and experiences,” Kennedy said. “Women can play a role.”
The reason behind the low number of women in those fields might be because of a negative perception of STEM careers, Stratton said.
“It’s a mindset that continues — that it’s a man’s profession,” she said. “But women are just as good at these skills. I think it has to be something introduced when they are young and it needs to stay in their mind that these are realistic.”
Women speakers from multiple professions took the stage during the Career ConnectED program this week and spoke to a room full of young girls and their parents about how they got involved with their careers. The speakers included a Boeing employee, engineers, business owners and others.
The speeches made a lasting impression on the girls in attendance.
“I enjoyed how they explained how they got into their careers and how they figured out what they wanted to do,” student Grace Combs said.
“I like science, it is interesting,” she said, noting that the event was fun and that she learned a lot.
The event was for any girl who lives in Clark County.
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After the speakers finished, the girls chose two stations to go to where they received hands-on training in circuitry, small motors, material science and other STEM-related activities. The panelists stayed with parents to discuss how they can help support their child if they do choose to go into a science, math or related field.
Getting girls interested and pursuing STEM degrees is an ongoing national issue, Western Ohio Girl Scouts Program Director Chris Salley-Davis said.
“We have always been about breaking down barriers for girls,” Salley-Davis said of Girl Scouts. “Today we are looking at barriers for girls and STEM is one of those. Half the population is female and half of the people are female, but the data of women earning STEM degrees is staggering. It’s not that the girls are not as smart, we need to break down that barrier.”
The Girl Scouts are starting to implement more STEM-related activities in their groups to promote those careers, she said. Salley-Davis said she has found that often young girls are interested in jobs where they can help people, like being a teacher.
“By becoming a scientist or engineer, you can help people that way, too,” she said. “And that is a role a girl can fill.”
Elder said to promote education for women, the local chapter of the AAUW sponsors scholarships for girls graduating from a Clark County high school. Those scholarships could be awarded to women pursuing any major in college.
By the Numbers:
15.5 percent: Amount of high school women in Ohio interested in a STEM career in 2016, according to the Astra Women’s Business Alliance
14.7 percent: Amount of high school women in Ohio interested in a STEM career in 2017, according to the Astra Women’s Business Alliance
45.8 percent: Amount of high school boys in Ohio interested in a STEM career in 2017, according to the Astra Women’s Business Alliance
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