Computer Science Education Week is coming to a close tomorrow and we hope that everybody got to take part in some great Hour of Code experiences during this week! Coding is a skill that’s going to be extremely relevant for everybody in the future and something that all students need to experience from the onset of their education. And, yes, this includes girls. For whatever reason—many of which we’ll get into later—girls seem to lack the same interest boys have in STEM education, but it’s time for that to end and for all of us to help make coding appealing to every single student.
Launching Dedicated Efforts to Get Girls Coding
Change rarely just happens because it should. This is the case in politics, in science, and in just about everything. Just because many more girls should be involved in STEM activities doesn’t mean that one day this will just simply become the case. Rather, it is going to take a concerted effort to get girls of all ages interested in STEM and to keep them interested. There are some prominent national programs, like 100 Girls of Code and Girls Who Code, that have helped give this initiative some steam, but not everybody has access to joining if they don’t live close enough to a chapter. So, what if it wasn’t as formal as a national organization, but there was something simple in every school? Would that help get as many girls as possible interested in coding and STEM education?
Teachers and parents can work together to create an environment just like the ones made possible by 100 Girls of Code so that girls who cannot physically be there can still do some of the same things after school. Essentially, these less formal, school-run clubs can help girls explore the same things they would be doing if they did take part in one of these larger scale organizations. Informal clubs are great for simply introducing girls to the language of code in a fun and simple way. Ideally, the club’s leaders should strive to make the science of coding as interesting as possible so that girls always want to progress on to the next step, ultimately figuring out that pursuing a career in this field would be not only profitable, but enjoyable.
There is no denying that there is a clear gender gap in the contemporary STEM workforce, but this is something we can team up to shrink. Something as simple as a beginner-level club that meets after school for an hour or two a week can help spark young girls’ interest in STEM. As interest grows and more and more girls start joining, these small, informal clubs could potentially apply to become their own chapter of 100 Girls of Code or another organization! It just takes a bit of commitment and some educators to stir up some excitement to bring girls in. As for the tools to use, there are plenty of affordable technologies for girls of all ages and abilities. Check out the Robotics & Coding section of our store to browse some of the best options!
Getting Girls Into STEM and Helping Them Stay
Teachers and parents can tell young girls to take an interest in STEM education until they’re blue in the face. The only problem with that, however, is that there will still be plenty of girls who don’t listen either because they simply don’t have that interest or because they don’t enjoy being told what to do. A lot of young girls don’t care that job growth in STEM fields is wildly outpacing other industries and that 93 percent of STEM wages pay higher than the national average for all other occupations. The rest of them probably don’t care all that much at the early stages of their lives, to be honest. Ideally, however, they would and maybe there are some things their teachers can do to help make this happen. Because, while programming jobs are growing 12 percent faster and paying $20,000 more than average jobs, girls simply aren’t taking too much interest in learning the skills.
Women make up less than 33 percent of the STEM workforce and only about a quarter of those who take the AP computer science exam are women, which does not hold much promise for the future. Whether it’s because girls fall into the stereotypical trap of believing they’re not as smart as boys or any number of other reasons, they lose interest pretty easily and pretty early. Teachers can help build that interest back up in a number of ways like turning STEM into STEAM, for instance, to make things feel more inclusive. Another trick could be to use storytelling since this approach tends to represent everyone as a whole and can be a good way to get girls more interested if they hear about a prominent female figure enjoying professional STEM success.
Some other research suggests that educators make a visible link between STEM education and “helping professions,” like teaching and nursing. So much technology goes into keeping people safe and healthy nowadays and this could be another way to keep girls interested. Also, as we discussed in the first section, starting and supporting STEM clubs for girls can pay huge dividends later on in life. If they’re never started, however, they cannot be supported, so take the first step! This helps girls to feel valued and ultimately could help eliminate the bias they often have towards STEM disciplines. Finally, even in non-STEM classes, teachers should encourage girls and all students to constantly revise their work. This promotes a growth mindset, which is very much needed in STEM industries and this practice will help better prepare girls for breaking into one later on in life.
Taking over New York City to Promote Girls in STEM
We’ve introduced you (briefly) to a couple of different organizations that are dedicated to getting as many girls as possible genuinely involved with coding and STEM learning. The Girls Who Code group is one that recently took their mission a step further and did something on their own to help continue raising awareness for women in STEM professions. The group, along with hundreds of members and supporters, took to the streets of New York City—near Union Square Park—to help extend their message. Not only were they trying to promote the girls who are already involved in STEM activities, but the demonstration was also geared at encouraging girls who may not have been too sure about giving it a shot. Chants like “the future of tech is female” could be heard all around the event, giving girls yet another reason to pursue coding together.
Some saw the event as a way to defy the norms that have become associated with the tech industry. Think back to some of the statistics we gave earlier. Most participants, however, used their brief stage as an opportunity to inspire. Along with the overwhelming amount of participation, what seemed like a fairly informal event was actually being backed by some pretty giant tech companies, including Twitter, Firefox, Tumblr, and Spotify as well as the Women’s March organization and New York City public officials. Rather than become discouraged about the last few months (or few years) for women in tech, this group of committed individuals instead decided to display some resolve and portray their message in a different way—one of class, togetherness, and determination. With much of the support at the rally coming from students, Girls Who Code definitely appears to be making an impact on the younger generation.
The crux of their message was a mix of disappointment for the number of girls actually involved in coding and a sense of hope for helping this turn around. Those girls who are interested in STEM and computer science often report that they are the only ones they know in their school or area who are staying committed to the field. Opportunities like this rally and the ones regularly provided by Girls Who Code give girls the chance to share their passions and connect with other girls who share the same ones. Since so many girls struggle to get to a point where they could actually see themselves pursuing computer science, it’s events like these that help reshape the way they think. Who knows? If one simple afternoon could help just one girl find something new to be passionate about, then the efforts of Girls Who Code are totally worth it.
Girls In STEM Make History Every Day
So, we’ve touched on girls not wanting to pursue STEM because they think it’s a boys thing or because they genuinely do not have the interest. There are some common sense ways for educators and parents to help nip those beliefs in the bud and there are also some other strategies they can use to inspire girls in science. One of the most logical of these is to use an inspirational approach. Even though, as unfortunate as it is, there are so many less female STEM professionals than male, plenty of women in science are making a powerful impact in society each and every day. If all else fails (you could even start here, actually), making sure young girls know about some of the most inspiring and successful females in STEM could help tip the scales and get them interested. Here are some of the ways to do just that.
It starts a lot earlier than when a young girl would be entering a STEM career. The time for educators to make a difference is when these children are in elementary school between second and sixth grade. They need to be given early exposure to the skills they will need for this type of work in the future and, among these most important skills, are math skills. Girls also need to be shown that their mental strength and attitude is a large determining factor in the paths they travel. One of the first examples people give when asked for an instance of women in STEM is NASA. There are so many more females contributing to the launch of a spacecraft even if they’re not on board than there were 10 or even 20 years ago. This serves as one inspiring example that there is a lot more possible for girls than many of them think. We just have to do a better job of breaking down the gender and racial barriers so that all girls feel empowered to pursue the sciences.
The NASA example is just one as many more women are finding themselves in high-level roles with many of them even starting their own companies. One of our most prominent partners, littleBits, was incorporated by Ayah Bdeir, who turned a love for inventing and technology into a line of tech products suitable for kids of all ages. She serves as an inspiration for many girls, including girls of all races, and has already inspired them to make a change. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding girls in STEM is something that will probably continue for the foreseeable future as it slowly decreases over time. Turning to the successes that female entrepreneurs, scientists, and inventors have had in the real world, however, is a great way to show young girls that there are so many possibilities. Whether it’s in coding, designing, or something else, they have the ability and support to make it in a STEM career—because it’s being done every single day.
Inspiring Girls to Pursue New STEM Fields
Providing opportunities for girls to get into STEM doesn’t have to be limited to the school day or even to the school year. The good thing about modern STEM is that this broad acronym covers so many individual careers and provides so many opportunities for girls to break into one of them. When we think of STEM, we tend to go directly towards computer science, engineering, or something else that has to do with coding. While these certainly all are and will likely continue to be viable careers for today’s students, there are some other things girls could pursue if they so choose. It starts with making them aware of their options, though. How many girls in Grades 2-7, do you think, are aware that they could potentially make a career out of 3D printing, 3D modeling, or repairing robots? We’re willing to bet that not that many do.
Not only are these legitimate career possibilities, these are things that girls could start exploring right now. Ideally, they will discover something under the STEM umbrella that genuinely interests them, which hopefully wouldn’t be too difficult with all of the various options. We understand that not every school system has the means or the personnel to put on summer activities for girls to explore coding and other STEM activities, but we also feel that those who can should be doing so. A lot of the time, teachers are strained by requirements and cannot get to coding during the school day even if they wanted to do so. All they really need is a few simple tech tools and a computer or two. Depending on the amount of interest received, leaders could introduce girls to coding using any number of affordable tools that teach the fundamentals of computer science with a splash of math, engineering, and science.
Even without the hands-on aspect, girls need to know how rapidly the world is advancing and how impactful computer science is. They also need to know that coding is an essential skill for everyone and should never feel like they are out of place or venturing someplace they don’t belong when they take an interest in computer science. Essentially, every girl in every school needs to feel like they will be rewarded for trying new things. Though this reward may not come for 10 or 12 years, it’s important that they know they are working towards something meaningful and legitimately obtainable from the time they get started. The benefits of enrichment camps definitely go a long way for girls who are on the fence about STEM. More importantly, if they stick with it, they will have the skills to go along with what hopefully blossoms into a genuine interest that leads to a successful future. For young girls, exposure to STEM must start now as coding continues to be the ticket to future success.
We hope everybody had a fantastic Computer Science Education Week and all got to try some new things! For even more on EdTech, STEM, and 21st century education news, follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Like us on Facebook, too, or sign up for our newsletter for our latest product announcements and offerings. If you have an idea for an Eduporium Weekly theme, send us a message on social media or comment below.