Gena Henderson, chief of the integrative operations branch of exploration systems and operations division at NASA, said her love for STEM began at an early age. Henderson grew up about 50 miles from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida and would watch rockets launch often.
When Henderson was in college studying engineering, some professors weren鈥檛 supportive and would make dismissive comments, questioning her decision to go into the engineering field.
But she persevered, and is thrilled to be participating in the innovation now happening at NASA.
Henderson was one of the panelists at the Education Department鈥檚 21st Century Community Learning Centers 2022 Summer Symposium鈥檚 opening session.
The virtual session, held July 19, focused on what 糖心动漫vlog and after-school program providers can do to ensure they are engaging girls and other underrepresented students in STEM. The panelists included women who work at NASA and women who work in organizations trying to spark girls鈥� interest in STEM.
Female representation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs varies widely. While there鈥檚 a higher share of women in science-related health care jobs, women continue to be underrepresented in computer science and engineering jobs.
Women and girls have to break through barriers in order to be successful in STEM jobs. The barriers include:
- Gender stereotypes
- Math anxiety
- Male-dominated workplaces
- Fewer role models
鈥淪ome may view STEM fields as more masculine,鈥� said Patti Curtis, a Robert Noyce/Ellen Lettvin STEM education fellow at U.S. Department of Education. 鈥淪ome 糖心动漫vlog and parents underestimate a girl鈥檚 math abilities starting as early as preschool.鈥�
鈥淢any STEM fields are male-dominated cultures, which can perpetuate inflexible and exclusionary environments that are not supportive of or attractive to women,鈥� Curtis added.
All the panelists agreed that the most important thing for girls is for them to have role models in the fields that they鈥檙e interested in.
鈥淪ometimes, students don鈥檛 have a roadmap,鈥� Henderson said. 鈥淭hey don鈥檛 know anyone in the endeavor [they want to get into].鈥�
Girls tend to have fewer role models to spark their interest in STEM, the panelists pointed out, and they rarely see examples of female scientists and engineers in popular culture.
鈥淚f you were to Google 鈥榗omputer scientists鈥� right now, you probably would not see a young woman pop up in your search,鈥� said Jackie Smalls, chief program officer for Code.org, an organization that is working to encourage more women and students of color to enter STEM fields.
Panelists also said that students need to be engaged in STEM early on in their school careers with hands-on learning activities in school and outside of school. Students shouldn鈥檛 be learning about these opportunities for the first time in high school.
Deanna J. Whitehead, chief of the flight & ground software & simulation division at NASA, talked about her 6th grade teacher who helped her do well in the local science fair and encouraged her to compete regionally. The experience gave her confidence and encouraged her to be able to pursue a STEM career.
鈥淚t was those experiences, maybe small experiences, that add up, that lead you to where you will eventually arrive,鈥� Whitehead said.
She added that she鈥檚 grateful for the 鈥渕any wonderful female role models鈥� at Marshall Space Flight Center, where she works. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what could be more encouraging than that.鈥�
