Jul 11, 2019

STEM and STEAM are serious buzzwords these days and it seems like Girl Scouts as an organization is DRINKING the KOOL-AID. Are you sick of STEM... or do you LOVE it? 

Girl Scouts is focused on STEM and STEAM because.... Girl Scout STEM programming WORKS.

The four ways that Girl Scout STEM programs impact girls are:

1. STEM Interest (girls are excited about STEM subjects and want to learn more)
2. STEM Confidence (girls have confidence in their STEM skills and abilities)
3. STEM Competence (girls think scientifically to solve problems)
4. STEM Value (girls learn the importance and relevance of STEM to people and society)

Statistics show the reality is that...

• Girls and boys are NO different in their actual abilities to do math and science, what is different is their interest and CONFIDENCE in those subjects
• As early as SECOND GRADE, that’s FIRST YEAR BROWNIES, kids agree that “math is for boys and not for girls”
• Women are more likely to earn a college degree than men in GENERAL, but LESS likely than men to earn a degree in engineering, computer science, and physics
• Although women make up more than ½ the US workforce, they comprise less than a quarter of STEM jobs, with the greatest gap occurring in engineering and computer science

These days STEM pervades every part of our lives - 

• Scientists conduct research and make discoveries that help us learn more about the world. 
• Technology, like computers and smartphones, connects people and makes our lives easier. 
• Engineers design and create so much of our environment, from buildings to roads to electronics.
• Math helps us make sense of information, understand how things work, and solve problems in the world.

But, it is undeniable that girls and women are underrepresented across all levels of what GSRI calls “the STEM pipeline:"

• from their initial interest as CHILDREN
• to majoring in a STEM subject in college or higher level degrees,
• to pursuing a STEM career as an adult 

STEM goes hand-in-hand with GSLE Principles:

• Girl Led, Learning By Doing, Cooperative Learning
• Discover, Connect, Take Action
• Sense of Self or Self Confidence, Positive Values, Seeking Challenges, Healthy Relationships, and Community Problem Solving