Girl Scouts in STEM

The Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) put together a report designed to "explore how girls can better become engaged in STEM through examination of what girls themselves say are their interests and perceptions about these important fields."
The prior research has found that

• women account for only 20% of bachelor's degrees in engineering, computer science, and physics
• regardless of STEM area, only 25% of positions are held by women
• girls start losing interest in math and science during middle school

The GSRI research found that:

• 74% of teen girls are interested in STEM

GSRI then asked a group of girls interested in STEM and a group of girls not interested in STEM the same questions.  

Creativity and Problem Solving

Confidence

Goals and Aspirations

Hard Work and Persistence

Exposure to STEM Fields

Adult Support

The Gap Between STEM Interest and First Choice Career

Career Motivators

Gender Barriers Holding Girls Back

57% of girls say that girls their age don't consider a career in STEM
47% of all girls say they would feel uncomfortable being the only girls in a class
57% of all girls say that if they went into a STEM Career they'd have to work harder than a man to be taken seriously

Conclusion

As opposed to past stereotype, girls are interested in STEM and the GSRI research demonstrates that this interest just needs to be primed.  The challenge, however, is how to turn girls' interest into action and make STEM the girls' first career choice.  As a Girl Scout sponsored FRC team we strive to transform interest into action.  This is apparent in our most recent class of alumni where 5 out of 7 went to to major in a STEM field.

All of the information included on this page is from the Girl Scout Research Institute's report entitled Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.  The full report is located at girlscouts.org/research/pdf/generation_stem_full_report.pdf