engineering stem messages for a new generation jennifer groh wiep associate director
TRANSCRIPT
Engineering STEM Messages for a New
Generation
Jennifer GrohWIEP Associate Director
About WIEP• The Women in Engineering Program was
started in 1969!• We have 6 professional staff and lots of student
assistants.
• We do K-12 outreach activities, recruitment activities, and programs for current students.
Why does WIEP exist?
Another way of looking at what we are up against…
Verizon 2014 commercial
What does WIEP do about it?
• Talk about STEM in terms of career motivators and impact (output) vs. the typical math/science message (inputs)
• Counter and address stereotypes and bias
• Encourage women to embrace a growth mindset – to help boost confidence
• Expose to appropriate female engineering role models and like-minded peers
• Educate - don’t have to love or excel at math/science but should be competent
• Inform influential adults about research-based messages for encouraging girls to consider STEM
Why Should EVERYONE* Care?
• The Business Case for Diversity– Workforce Availability vs. US Demographics– Relate to Customers– Competitive Advantage
• Homogenous team vs. heterogeneous team
• The Human Case for Diversity– Airbags in cars…
*Men and women, parents, aunts/uncles, teachers, etc.
QUIZ Time!
Before ____th grade is when research shows
girls begin to lose interest in math and science
compared to male peers
Open answer
Typical messages about engineers/engineering
and images of engineers/engineering
align with what girls want in a career
True/False
Expectations that our culture/society has for boys fit
better with what we think of engineers than compared with
our expectations for girls
True/False
Expectations for boys fit better with what we think engineers
areBoys Girls
Competent Nurturing/CaringDo well in math Do well in English
Leaders FollowersLike things Like people
Focus on task (solve problems)
Focus on process (involve everyone)
Not emotional Emotional
As a result, we unconsciously provide more encouragement to boys to be engineers
Fill in the blanksIt is important to encourage
students to have a ______ vs. a _______ mindset.
Choose from growth and fixed
Girls are better than boys at spatial visualization skills
(visual spatial)
True/False
Why so Few? (A summary…)• Limited knowledge or inaccurate
perceptions about STEM careers
• Lower confidence than boys, even when actually achievement levels are similar
• Negative stereotypes/unconscious bias about girls’ and women’s abilities in math and science persist
Resources: NCWIT and AAUW.org
An engineer is born…
Biomedical
Environmental
Computer
Industrial
Aeronautical&
Astronautical
Materials
Nuclear
Agricultural & Biological
Mechanical
ChemicalCivil
Electrical
What Engineering Goes Into ____?
FUN hands-on activities relating to broad audiencesWIEP
Waterscarcity
Natura
l
Disast
ers
Alternative
Energy
Food
production
Health& Medicine
Newfrontiers
Engineering in Action!
The Engineering Design Process
Hands-on engineering activity
Manufacturing
DesignPrototyping
Product testing
Customer Service
Marketing Research
& Product
Development
EvaluationFixes
SalesMarketing
Logistics and
Distribution
Management&
Leadership
Product Life CycleType of Engineers =Product and Role
Career benefitsDiscipline Group 2010
Avg Start
2011 Avg Start
Business $46,378 $48,144
Communications $38,450 $39,577
Computer Science $58,229 $60,594
Education $37,040 $37,830
Engineering $60,971 $61,872
Health Sciences $44,451 $44,955
Humanities & Social Sciences
$34,856 $35,503
Math & Sciences $39,749 $40,204
Source: http://www.naceweb.org/Press/Releases/College_Class_of_2011_Closes_Year_With_Higher_Starting_Salary.aspx
Once we have shared a message about how creative engineering is and what engineers do for society (OUTPUTS), then we can fill them in about the requirements (INPUTS).
But remember to put it into the right context & realize students are already getting the math/science message from elsewhere.
So…what about the math and science?
What can you do? (in summary)• Talk about STEM in terms of career
motivators
• Counter and address stereotypes and set backs
• Embrace a growth mindset – to help boost confidence
• Expose to appropriate female engineering role models and like-minded peers
• Don’t have to love or excel at math/science but should be competent
“Engineering will challenge you
to turn dreams into realities, while giving you the
chance to travel, work with
inspiring people and give back to your community.”
www.engineeryourlife.org
Engineers Shape Our World
“Engineers have a hand in designing, creating, or modifying nearly everything we touch, wear, eat, see, and hear in our daily lives.”
American Society of Engineering Education
Why Engineering? • Love your work, AND live your life.• Be creative.• Work with great people.• Solve problems• Design things that matter.• Never be bored.• Make a big salary.• Enjoy job flexibility.• Travel.• Make a difference.• Change the World.
www.engineeryourlife.org
Questions?
Jennifer Groh765-494-0758