Women are grossly under-represented in STEM careers in our country. While they make up over 50% of the workforce, women represent a mere 26% of employees in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics sectors. This disparity is alarming and problematic. Universities, laboratories and organizations are making strides to reduce the stigma for girls and young women with interests in these fields. Their goal is to open the door of opportunity for the myriad of great minds that have been ignored for too long.
The Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science is a non-profit organization that was founded in California in 1994. A national leader in gender equality in education, the IWITTS was recognized by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the effectiveness of their program. The mission of the IWITTS is to provide girls and young women with the opportunity to explore STEM related jobs.
This organization is tackling the issue by training educators to include their female students in the discussion of career possibilities in STEMs. Finding innovative ways to excite teenage girls about Science, Technology and Math is the first step to opening their minds to the options that are available to them. The institute offers videos, training seminars, and other technical assistance for technology and science educators. Visit the IWITTS website or Facebook page for more information about this organization.
Aspire, Advance and Achieve. That is the motto of the Society of Women Engineers. For over 60 years, the SWE has provided women engineers with a community of like-minded innovators who are fighting to break the stereotypes of this traditionally male dominated field. Women represent a mere 12% of the engineering workforce. This organization continually strives to raise that percentage by inspiring women to reach their potential in careers in engineering and lead the way for future generations of women to do the same.
The SWE partners with global organizations and companies to provide opportunities for women in engineering and promote their mission. They are leaders in government advocacy, working with local and national legislators to strengthen the inclusion of girls in school STEM programs, promote STEM courses and jobs for college-level women and create equal opportunities for women in the work force interested in careers in engineering. As stated on their website, “The long term goal is to be the STEM gender equity power broker at the federal level.”
This organization has a variety of engineering scholarship opportunities for college-aged women on the undergraduate and graduate level. Head to the SWE website or Facebook page for information about supporting their mission.
Founded in 2002, the National Girls Collaborative Project strives to bring together organizations across the country that share the vision of educating and motivating girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. There are currently 39 states being serviced by collaborations between 18,800 organizations, providing services to over 11 million girls and 7.5 million boys in the United States. The overwhelming theme of the NGCP is opportunity. The organization works on a state and federal level to provide a network of professionals, researchers, and practitioners all working with the common goal of increasing the knowledge base of girls and young women about STEM fields.
Partially funded by a grant from the NSF, the program trains mentors to work with educators, organizations and school counselors to increase the capacity of female STEM practitioners in the workforce. Forums, interactive webinars and mini-grants work in tandem to provide a comprehensive and structured program design. The organization has partnered with 16 companies, including L’Oreal, Thomson Reuters, Time Warner, Sci Girls, and the Manufacturing Institute, who share their vision for building the capacity of programs that serve girls in STEM. You can find out more about this pioneering program at the National Girls Collaborative Project website or Facebook page.
Million Women Mentors is an organization focused on breaking down the barriers facing girls and women interested in STEM. They have partnered with over 60 companies and over 45 corporate sponsors to facilitate current STEM professionals with the tools they need to mentor girls across the country. Over 30 million girls have benefited from a mentoring relationship made possible by WMW.
The program works by pairing mentors with mentees from national, mostly non-profit organizations that have specific interests in STEM. By collaborating with other sponsors and consulting with WMW to create a custom mentoring plan, mentors can champion girls and women in STEM through a variety of leadership opportunities. The long term goal of Million Women Mentors is to reach out to join forces with one million female and male mentors to “increase the interest and confidence of girls and women to persist and succeed in STEM programs and careers.” Go to the Million Women Mentors website or Facebook page to find out how you can support their efforts.
There is no denying the fact that jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are the future of the US economy. Providing girls and young women with the resources to pursue these fields exponentially increases the ability for the United States to be at the forefront of innovation and invention in these critical areas.
