WHER Chat: The State of Women and Girls in STEM

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The National Girls Collaborative Project presents statistics on their website on the state of girls’ involvement in STEM through primary education – from kindergarten through high school, from an analysis of data from 2016 National Science Foundation reports. Here are some of their main findings regarding differences in STEM involvement for female students compared to their male counterparts. Students regardless of sex, race or ethnicity, enrolled in lower level science courses in 2012 at similar rates. However, students with less-educated parents or with lower socioeconomic status were less likely to take these courses. 

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WHER Chat: Supporting Girls’ Interests in STEM with a Growth Mindset

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One well-supported reason for why there is a lower representation of women in the AI sector is that not many girls are encouraged to pursue STEM. Therefore, their interest in science and technology fields will quickly fade if that passion is not nourished with opportunity. According to a Microsoft survey, young women in Europe report that their interest in STEM began around age 11 or 12, but faltered when they reached the ages of 15 and 16. 

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