STEM

The U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Research, through the Institute for Education Sciences, developed the following 55 page resource guide: Encouraging Girls in Math and Science (PDF) which provides recommendations, such as:

• Create an environment that sparks curiosity in math and science
• Teach that STEM skills are learned, not innate
• Teach that academic abilities are expandable and improvable
• Frame adversity as an experience common to everyone
• Encourage a growth-mindset
• Teach about the effects of stereotyping
• Move away from the idea that certain people are cut out for certain types of jobs
• Highlight the broad applications of engineering and computing
• Include female role-models and mentors in STEM fields
• Create welcoming environments for girls in STEM
• Provide girls with opportunities to tinker and build confidence

NSF INCLUDES National Network published a 21 page research brief of Evidence-based Strategies for Attracting and Retaining Girls and Women in STEM.  Some of their recommendations include:

• Emphasize communal goals and opportunities for practice
• Foster engagement among key entities and stakeholders
• Provide more informal STEM learning environments
• Enhance professional development for educators
• Confront gender-based biases and provide supportive spaces
• Use targeted messaging and conversations to build interest and confidence
• Encourage mentoring and role modeling from female faculty
• Embrace work-life balance and family-friendly policies

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine published a 2020 consensus study report titled Promising Practices for Addressing the Underrepresentation of Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine: Opening Doors which addresses the problem of gender inequities in U.S. STEM fields, factors that drive the underrepresentation of women in STEM, and provides a review of the current research on educational interventions that can improve recruitment and retention of girls and women in STEM fields. Research-based interventions include:

• Incorporating active learning
• Promoting a growth mindset
• Communicating the societal impact of STEM to students
• Including female role models
• Creating inclusive relationships through mentoring
• Having male allies

The study also includes information on how the characteristics of the STEM instructor, the class structure, and group composition may affect the recruitment and retention of girls. This study is available as a free downloadable pdf or for purchase in book form.

Scholarships and Grants

In an effort to address the national gender gap of women in STEM fields, the following organizations have created webpages to facilitate access to grants and scholarships:

• The Madison Trust Company has a webpage that includes links to numerous scholarships for girls and women pursuing an education in STEM.
• NASA's Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) created various opportunities to help girls and women overcome obstacles and barriers to working in STEM fields.
• EduMed has created a step by step guide to assist those interested in pursuing a college degree in the field of healthcare.  The EduMed website highlights various online schools, degree options, tips, resources, financial aid information and scholarship opportunities.
• The U.S. Department of Education administers grant funding to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness, to foster educational excellence, and to ensure equal access.  Use the Search Tool or view the complete List of Grants.

How Federal Funds Can Support STEM

The U.S. Department of Education’s Raise the Bar: STEM Excellence for All Students initiative was designed to strengthen and increase Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education nationwide.

In support of the initiative and its goals, the Department published a STEM Dear Colleague Letter and enclosure to state and district leaders outlining how federal education funds can be used to enhance STEM teaching and learning.

Instructional Resources

• Space4All provides educational resources awards, and scholarship opportunities for K-12 schools.
• The Institute of Education Sciences (ICS) developed a FREE at home activity sheet for families and caregivers of children in grades 3-8, Encouraging Girls in Math and Science: Three Powerful Female Role Models.
• The Smithsonian Science Education Center provides a number of FREE STEM related instructional materials, including videos, for grades 5-8, and a FREE downloadable e-book of Stories of Women in STEM at the Smithsonian. 
• The National Center for Women & Information Technology provides practical tips and FREE educational materials for K-12 educators on their K-12 Educators page.
• The STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education center, developed a Women Innovators in STEM Book List for babies through age 5 plus, under a cooperative agreement between the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Million Women Mentor has additional FREE resources and whitepapers available on their STEM Connector Resource page.

Additional Resources

• The National Women’s Law Center’s Science, Technology & Career Education page contains numerous free reports, webinars, and fact sheets.
• The National Coalition for Women & Girls in Education report, Title IX at 45, has a chapter dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and is free for download.
• The American Association of University Women (AAUW) has additional information and multiple free research studies available on their STEM Gap page.
• The National Science Foundation’s (NSF) National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCES) provides statistical information on Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering through their free online report.
• The United States Department of Education YOU Belong in STEM webpage includes many resources for schools and students.