Do you identify with LGBTQ? Do you work or study in STEM? Take a survey and help to make sure the issues of this community are not overlooked! My road through working and studying in science has been relatively easy (except for the usual academic challenges). But I’m a straight, white male, and I haven’t had to experience the explicit and systemic prejudices that so many people have to deal with every day, even in such a “progressive” field as this. But I’ve met many folks over the years who have had to deal with that, and it’s not easy for some (to make the understatement of the ever). To feel welcome, comfortable, equal and wanted in STEM fields (and in the world at large) … that’s what people deserve, and that’s the environment we should work to create. That’s why I am so glad to hear that Jeremy Yoder and Allison Mattheis have put together this survey. By finding out how people’s careers and experiences relate to their peers, we can see where work remains to be done. It’s a great model for other groups. Help spread the word, and if you or someone you know that works or studies in STEM wants to take the survey, visit http://bit.ly/queerSTEM
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Do you identify with LGBTQ? Do you work or study in STEM? Take a survey and help to make sure the issues of this community are not overlooked!

My road through working and studying in science has been relatively easy (except for the usual academic challenges). But I’m a straight, white male, and I haven’t had to experience the explicit and systemic prejudices that so many people have to deal with every day, even in such a “progressive” field as this. But I’ve met many folks over the years who have had to deal with that, and it’s not easy for some (to make the understatement of the ever). To feel welcome, comfortable, equal and wanted in STEM fields (and in the world at large) … that’s what people deserve, and that’s the environment we should work to create.

That’s why I am so glad to hear that Jeremy Yoder and Allison Mattheis have put together this survey. By finding out how people’s careers and experiences relate to their peers, we can see where work remains to be done. It’s a great model for other groups.

Help spread the word, and if you or someone you know that works or studies in STEM wants to take the survey, visit http://bit.ly/queerSTEM

Calling All Geek Girls! Apply for the Huffington Post's STEM Mentorship Program

It’s well-established that women face social pressures that push them away from pursuing science as a life passion. It’s also well-established that women who do stay in science face discrimination all the way up the ladder. Women are 50 percent of the population but hold less than a quarter of STEM jobs.

Young ladies, HuffPo has your back. Check it out:

Dear Geek Girls,

We were there once — making a decision about which career path to choose can be a source of great anxiety, especially in tough economic times like these. But having someone on your side to coach you through, and give you practical advice without judgement can make all the difference in the world.

HuffPo Science is offering young ladies 14-21 the chance to be mentored by a female scientist, to show you the ropes and keep you motivated to achieve your goals. Applications are due Jan 31st, so apply here today!

Big round of applause to them for this effort.

“I Am a Scientist”

Mates of State cover Guided by Voices to promote girls in science

The problems are clear. Science and technology fields hold the jobs of the future, but our young women aren’t being prepared effectively to lead, or even compete. Interest in science is equal among younger girls and boys, and then diverges from middle school onward. There’s many culprits to blame, and most of them are social.

So again we ask: How do we fix it?

There’s wrong ways. And then there’s really wrong ways, like last week’s “Science, It’s A Girl Thing” fiasco. You don’t encourage girls in science by creating unrealistic role models and negative stereotypes. That’s why I love the soon-to-be-released Science Fair album, especially this track from Mates of State.

To me, it captures all the right stuff about science. The happy curiosity, the proud young girl hard at work on what makes her feel good, and getting to prove the naysayers wrong in the end. I love that the full album features tracks that serve to inspire young girls in education, all performed by female singers, and that all of the proceeds will go to girls’ STEM programs through Girls, Inc..

If you’d like more information on the Science Fair album, check out their website.

(Special thanks to video director Lindsay Van Dyke for sending this my way)

Science: It’s a Girl Thing! But what the hell does that even mean?

EDIT: Looks like these folks took the original video down due to the backlash. You can view an excerpt and more reactions here at Knight Science Journalism Tracker.

An EU effort to get more young women interested in science produced this promotional video … and I have no idea what message it’s supposed to convey.

Want to be a scientist? Everything we do pretty much has a link to makeup, or dancing fabulously! Watch us distract the silly boy scientist!

I’m not the only one who doesn’t particularly like it. Personally, I don’t think you get women involved in science by creating ridiculously unobtainable images for them to emulate. You let them connect with real women, who they can respect and identify with.

Like this, which is from the same people who did the above, and makes me wonder what they were smoking when they approved that video.

Thoughts?

Source: science-girl-thing.eu

it is very easy to make sure a child does not love science.
For that, any number of things will do: parents who don’t encourage their children to be curious or teachers who aren’t prepared to teach it. The best way to turn a kid off to science forever is to make her sit through endless lectures, forcing her to memorize fact, dates, numbers, and equations. That would squeeze the love out of anyone, replacing it with ennui at best and an active dislike at worst.

Phil Plait, Bad Astronomy blogger on science education and why he became an astronomer.

Later in the article, he discusses how to avoid the above.

The answer? Instill a feeling of joy. I think we’re on the same page here.

More at Slate Magazine.

Source: Slate

Sally Ride, On Teaching Tomorrow's Scientists

Sally Ride has an op-ed at Mashable detailing the challenges facing our STEM education system, and how the Sally Ride Science Academy is working to overcome them. 

But we must start early with students. In fact, fourth through eighth grade is critical. This is the age where many students, particularly girls and minorities, begin to disengage from these subjects. They feel and internalize the influences of peer pressure, popular culture, and society’s expectations. Science isn’t cool, negative stereotypes persist about scientists, mathematicians and engineers, and studying hard is rarely celebrated on reality TV or in pop music.

It starts with the teachers. I know that they made the difference for me. As did seeing Sally Ride on Sesame Street when I was a kid. That was pretty bad-ass. Teachers spend more time with students than anyone but their parents or friends. Which reminds me, having circles of friends (real-life or online *cough*Tumblr*cough*) who value and reward each other for enriching each other’s minds, we need more of that too.

Who makes the difference for you, or who could?

Check out the full piece here.

Kids Today vs. Kids in 1982 An interesting infographic (this is an excerpt, full version is here) for many reasons, including smoking, safe sex and graduation rate stats. But pay special attention to that “career aspirations” section there. We’ve got some work to do yet, science fans. The importance of STEM jobs in our economy is only growing. We can’t let a generation slip away. (via PR Daily)
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Kids Today vs. Kids in 1982

An interesting infographic (this is an excerpt, full version is here) for many reasons, including smoking, safe sex and graduation rate stats. But pay special attention to that “career aspirations” section there.

We’ve got some work to do yet, science fans. The importance of STEM jobs in our economy is only growing. We can’t let a generation slip away.

(via PR Daily)

Girls in STEM It’s not a secret that women (and pretty much any minority group) have uphill battle after uphill battle facing them when it comes to succeeding in math, science and engineering fields. Some of these are explicit (like the tilted playing field of the tenure system, which could take 100 years to level out), and some are more obscured (like the quiet social pressures that push them away from science). But what is clear is that it does not have to be the case. I was really struck by this infographic’s ability to capture how quickly and precipitously women drop out of many fields of science once social pressures begin to take over.  I hope that projects like ScienceCheerleader, IAmScience, DoubleXScience and This Is What A Scientist Looks Like (<- bonus points if you can find me on that one) can continue to make this image a relic of the past and not a picture of the future. (ᔥ EngineeringDegree.net, click here for enlargification)
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Girls in STEM

It’s not a secret that women (and pretty much any minority group) have uphill battle after uphill battle facing them when it comes to succeeding in math, science and engineering fields. Some of these are explicit (like the tilted playing field of the tenure system, which could take 100 years to level out), and some are more obscured (like the quiet social pressures that push them away from science). But what is clear is that it does not have to be the case.

I was really struck by this infographic’s ability to capture how quickly and precipitously women drop out of many fields of science once social pressures begin to take over. 

I hope that projects like ScienceCheerleader, IAmScience, DoubleXScience and This Is What A Scientist Looks Like (<- bonus points if you can find me on that one) can continue to make this image a relic of the past and not a picture of the future.

(ᔥ EngineeringDegree.net, click here for enlargification)

Source: engineeringdegree.net