Did you love participating in cool science experiments as a kid in grade school? Did your love for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) classes fall to the wayside a bit as you got a little older, like perhaps around middle school? These are questions society is asking: why don’t more women become leaders in this field? Girls are every bit as smart, capable, talented (I can go on and on!) as the boys. So, what’s the deal?
By Lana Engelhart
Well…Here’s the deal
For one, research has shown that as grade levels rise, the boys tend to take over the actual doing of the experiments and problems/procedures. The girls tend to do a lot of the writing up. Instead, more girls need to be encouraged to take charge and lead the way.
Another reason is peer pressure. Girls tend to be teased or made fun of for enjoying subjects that were classically thought of as more male-dominated subjects. Girls need leaders, mentors—women who encourage them to believe that yes, they can achieve, lead and succeed.
Stats and facts
According to STEM Women, since 2015, the number of women in STEM has grown from 22,020 to 24,705 in 2019. On the surface, this would appear to show a linear increase, however, due to the more rapid growth in the number of men graduating in these subject areas, the percentage of women in STEM has fluctuated from 25 percent, down to 24 percent, and finally up to 26 percent, where it has stalled in 2019.
BASIS Independent Schools, a national network of PreK–12 private, secular schools that educate students to the highest international levels, is looking to change all that. Their eight campuses, located in some of the most dynamic metropolitan areas in the country, are part of the BASIS Curriculum Schools global network.
Since the first campus opened in 1998, BASIS Curriculum Schools have been recognized as some of the most accelerated and top-performing schools in the world. Their mission is to educate students to the highest international levels with a spiraling liberal arts and sciences curriculum benchmarked to the best education systems in the world. The advanced curriculum prepares students with the content knowledge, critical thinking, and self-advocacy skills needed to be successful throughout their education and well beyond.
Spreading success
Toby Walker is the vice president of BASIS Independent Schools, where he leads a network of schools where students thrive in a culture of excellence and achieve extraordinary outcomes. “BASIS Independent Schools first opened their doors in 2014, and we began as a coast-to-coast organization. The vision behind the curriculum and whole network of schools is to blend the most rigorous content standards from around the world with the spirit and creativity of American education. We first opened a school in Brooklyn, New York and a school in San Jose, California in the same year. We now have six campuses in some of the most competitive education markets in the country, and we are looking to grow more,” Walker says.
Why The Lack of Girls?
“First of all, I think there are some very real and perceived barriers to entry around the STEM world. We have an obligation to remove those and to do all we can to empower students with the belief and understanding that they can all be successful in those areas,” he notes. “What we do at BASIS Independent Schools is, from a young age, expose students to a broad curriculum that includes a very strong emphasis on physics, on mathematics, and on all aspects of STEM so that our students feel confident that they can be successful in those areas.”
A school day for students is a day where they are inspired and involved in dynamic classrooms that allow them to move forward with their education alongside their peers. “Students get to interact with their teachers in different ways. In the classroom, where they are learning directly from their teachers…in clubs and afterschool activities, where they see their teachers in a more social setting or a more collaborative team sports setting.”
“Also, in office hours, which is something we offer to our students right from the young grades, where they meet with their teachers outside of class to go over an assessment or to find out more about a particular topic. This is a slightly less formal relationship with their educator where they feel comfortable learning. Many students outside of our schools would only be exposed to this type of relationship at the collegiate level,” Walker explains.
All Are Welcome
BASIS hopes to remove barriers to entry for everybody. If any student wants to pursue an academic path in the STEM world, that student can do it here, and will be encouraged to blossom and grow. “Our teachers look for opportunities for our students across all disciplines. I think we have a remarkable curriculum that brings wonderful teachers into our schools, and that all BASIS Independent Schools are joyful learning environments.”
Before you let someone else decide that STEM isn’t right for you, reach out to other female friends pursuing the field, speak to a counselor or teacher at school, and spend some time rediscovering the pleasures of science and math, because YES you can.