The education of children is always evolving and new options are appearing for everyone. But the one area that continues to be lacking in numbers for women is STEM.
Defining STEM education
STEM education is the umbrella term for sciences, technology, engineering, and maths. These areas are generally dominated by men, but there continue to be initiatives to get more girls interested, such as Black Girls CODE.
Since the 18th century, women have found it difficult to break into the field. Sadly, some of the most notable women from the early days were admitted as a practical joke.
Want an example? In the 1880s, Williamina Fleming was hired to work at the Harvard Observatory after the director grew frustrated with his staff and proclaimed, “my Scottish maid could do better!” So, he hired her.
Finding inspiration
Over the years, the work of Williamina Fleming and the Harvard Computers, the all-female workforce behind the classification of hundreds of stars, has been largely forgotten. But now, as young women are discovering the amazing advancements made by women in STEM, more are getting involved. The tales of the female workers behind the headlines, including the story of the Hidden Figures behind the Apollo project, are inspiring a new generation of girls to reach for the sciences.
But, how can we help get more girls involved in coding, software development, and other parts of STEM? Let’s encourage them and let them know that this is an option as a career. Let’s show them what they could achieve in these fields of research.
By explaining and encouraging them, we can get more girls interested in the world of STEM. This infographic shows more about what is STEM education:
Infographic Design by Stem School stemschool.com
It last many years, but now its reality. The only way bringing gender equality to a new level. xx Michael
I’m a retired educator, but STEM activities are one of the great things that are happening in schools now.