Closing the STEM Gender Gap

“Pathways, not Pipelines”

STEM talent issues are top of mind

2

“We need to build our talent

pipeline to be competitive.”

“We have 1,000’s of unfilled

jobs.”

“Not enough women major in

STEM – especially computer

science.”

With the problem framed as a faulty pipeline –especially for girls

3

But that language implies girls are untapped raw material – a necessary resource to meet your goals

4

Rather than framing STEM as a pathway to achieving hers

5

“I want to make the world a

better place.”

“I want to help people.”

Educators need help motivating students

6

Educators cite lack of

student motivation as #1

barrier to academic success

– and real-world problem

solving as the most effective

solution

And when educators succeed with students, employers benefit too!

7

5.7 million STEM job openings were posted in 2013

So what ignites STEM interest in girls?

8

What helps her

discover that the

STEM pathway is for

her?

Make her feel welcome

She needs to see that:

• People like her work there

• There is a social,

collaborative environment

• Her opinions and ideas are

valued

*Refer to notes for research references

Make her feel capable

10

She needs to feel confident in her

competence

• The US is one of only a

handful of countries where

science performance is lower

for girls than for boys.

• Instill a mindset that success

comes from working hard,

rather than being “born smart.”

• Girls have a strong preference

for project & problem-based

learning approaches.**Refer to notes for research references

Help her see STEM as useful

11

Make STEM part of a

bigger story – and show

how she becomes a part

• Women have a “helping”

mindset—a mission

orientation

• Women want to make

an impact, not just $

• STEM “usefulness”

more powerful than

teacher encouragement***Refer to notes for research references

Help her navigate the unfamiliar

12

Self-efficacy is important,

but the pathways

between academic

coursework and specific

careers are vague

****Refer to notes for research references

Traditional means are hard to scale

13

STEM Mentors

STEM Internships

Engages

Secondary STEM Educators and Employers

Connects

Classroom Coursework to Real Career Challenges

Inspires

Students to Persist in STEM Coursework and Careers.

Spark 101 offers a new way to help

Spark 101 partners with STEM employers to develop short case study videos

15

Free & On Demand

Aligned to Standards & Careers

Real Employers & Problems

10-Minute Interactive Video

Teacher-created Lesson Plans &

Resources

RESEARCH

Make her feel

welcome

Show her why

it matters

Case study videos put STEM research into action

16

VIDEO

Feature

diverse,

younger

professionals

Put the

specific

problem in

context

RESEARCH

Make her feel

capable

Show her why

it matters

VIDEO

Display

excitement at

solving real

world problems

Feature women

as part of the

problem

solving team

RESEARCH

Show her the

next steps

VIDEO

Offer advice

and provide

the names of

careers and

education

options.

Three, 2-5 minute video segments break the story into interactive

components in a format that manifests research and best practices

CLASSROOM

Planning

Teacher plans

lesson and

kicks off video

by connecting

to prior student

knowledge.

And then allow classroom teachers to integrate with academic content lessons

Teachers design and contribute lesson plans aligned to Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, Advanced Placement, Project Lead the Way, National Academy Foundation and more.

17

VIDEO

Problem/

Motivation

(3-5 minutes)

Video sets up

problem to

solve and

describes why

it matters.

CLASSROOM

Pause to

Engage

Students

How would

students solve

the problem?

VIDEO

Solving the

Problem

(3-5 minutes)

Industry

professionals

share how they

solved the

problem.

CLASSROOM

Pause to

Engage

Students

compare and

evaluate actual

solutions to

their own

solutions.

VIDEO

Future

Meaning (2-

4 minutes)

Industry

professionals

offer advice

and provide the

names of

careers and

education

options.

CLASSROOM

Educator-Led

Reflection and

Decision-Making

Students consider

what actions they

might take next.

About 40 case study videos are available now

P&G’s Cover Girl Lipstick Kaiser Permanente’s Sepsis Management

AT&T’s Network Coverage

Free webinars & resources help teachers

`

Webinars Lesson Planning Resources

PLUS Field –Tested Lesson Plans

Early results show promise for all students

20

61.3

36.4

70.767.1

42.7

80.2

Interest in Taking More STEMCourses

Plan to Learn More AboutSTEM Courses and Careers

by Searching Online

Understand How STEMCoursework Relates to the

Real World.

Pretest Posttest

N=494; p >.05

And findings are strong for girls, too.

21

59.

8

65.

7

35.

6

40.

3

73.

8

82.

8

Post testPre

test

N=287

Girls offer additional insights about STEM attitudes & plans

22

93%83%

70%61%

32%

Agree or Strongly

Agree

And specific feedback about Spark 101

23

When asked what they liked best about Spark 101, girls replied:

“I liked how it connected subjects we are learning currently with the

real-world careers and jobs that will soon be within our reach”

“That it connects STEM courses to real-world problems so people are

able to realize how what they are learning in class helps them in the

real world.”

“I liked that presenters explain how to solve problems, gave you real

problems to solve, then talked to you about their job in STEM and why

it matters.”

“It was good at putting real-life situations into our class.”

Teachers tell us we are on to something

24

Teachers tell us using

Spark 101 helps them:

• Engage their students

• Improve their students’

problem solving abilities

And that they want more case

study videos

Employers are catching on

And users are passing it along

Spark 101 2014 Usage Footprint

What might educators do next?

27

Check out Spark101.org

Try out a case study with students (FREE webinars

can help you out)

Build out educator resources with YOUR lesson plans

or help us identify new case study videos

Share out by Tweeting, Pinning, Liking & Sharing

Reach out to learn how to become a Spark 101

Teacher Leader

What might STEM employers do next?

28

Check out Spark101.org

Share out by Tweeting, Pinning, Liking & Sharing

Reach out to learn more about how to:

Develop a case study video with us

Support Spark 101 Teacher Leader Networks

And other options to consider

29

Reach out to learn more about how to:

Share Spark 101 with teachers in your network

License Spark 101 content in your product

License Spark 101 professional learning

resources in your service

Spark 101 is a program of the 114th Partnership. Inspired by the meridian that marks

the Great Continental Divide, the 114th Partnership bridges the gap between

business and education to support common goals for student success—that

graduates are prepared for success in college, careers, and the community. The

114th Partnership aligns the interests of educators and employers to create unique

programs that increase student engagement and achievement.

Check out: www.spark101.org

Email us at Spark101@114th.org

Follow us @Spark101STEM

Share thoughts: #SparkSTEM