There is an evident issue: Women, especially women of color, remain widely underrepresented in STEM professions. But why? What drives girls to retract from pursuing a career in STEM, particularly computer science? What are the potential solutions to overcome this obstacle for childhood to adolescent girls? Among those solutions, what defines an effective all-girls computing program to maximize the chances girls will pursue a career in STEM? The purpose of this integrated project is to define a conceptual framework of an all-girls computing program in informal STEM learning environments in order to close the gender gap in STEM fields and increase girls interest in STEM through computing. This framework can be used in after-school programs, clubs, and summer programs. The model describes five main elements in the development and deepening of girls interest and participation in STEM: COmmunity, Mentorship, PArental influence, Community, and Tool.
Below you will find the abstract of my masters integrated project from Teachers College, Columbia University. To access the entire project, click here. Please feel free to leave a comment/feedback below or contact me directly acm2245@tc.columbia.edu.
Abstract
The future of the United States economy is in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). However, there is a concern in the preparedness, supply, and availability of STEM workers. Women, especially women of color, remain widely underrepresented in most STEM professions. The purpose of this integrated project is to introduce CoMPaCT, a conceptual evaluation framework of an all girls program for informal STEM learning environments in order to close the gender gap in STEM fields and increase girls interest in STEM through computing. This framework can be used in after-school computing programs, computing clubs, and summer computing camps. The model describes five main elements in the development and deepening of girls interest and participation in STEM: curriculum, tools, mentorship, community, and parental influence.
Keywords: STEM, Girls, Framework, Out of School Programs, Computing
Andrea Mozo 