Students need to be exposed to as many opportunities as possible that will lead them to develop an interest in STEM. As a science instructor at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy, I have seen firsthand that the more my students know about lucrative and in-demand careers in STEM, the more likely they are to pursue them.
It is particularly critical for young women to have exposure to STEM careers, as they are vastly underrepresented in these fields. According to the National Science Foundation, approximately two-thirds (65%) of workers in STEM occupations were men in 2021, and around one-third (35%) were women. This means that my students are missing out on the opportunity to take advantage of the high demand and high pay associated with these occupations.
Many of my girls will be the first in their families to graduate from high school and/or pursue higher education opportunities. I want them to leverage their education to contribute to the changing needs in the workforce and take advantage of opportunities to impact their lives and the world through their pursuits.
Making STEM for girls a mission
I began teaching at CGLA in 2011, just a few years after it opened. As the first STEM charter school in Tennessee, the mission statement resonated with me: “The Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy provides girls and young women with a rigorous college preparatory education, focused on science, technology, engineering, the arts and math in a supportive environment that nurtures self-confidence, inspires leadership, encourages critical thinking, and promotes academic excellence.” As a product of single-gender education, I was immediately drawn to the school’s dedication to providing personalized instruction for girls and young women, focusing on preparing them to graduate and pursue careers in STEM fields. Our founders and supporters recognized the underrepresentation of women, particularly women of color, in high-demand and high-paying STEM career fields and sought to contribute to closing that gap.
As I developed my science curriculum for my middle-school students, I incorporated a STEM resource that addresses all core subject areas to emphasize STEM topics and literacy. In 2011, a local education company, Learning Blade, was developing its first “mission” — a set of instructional resources focused on solving a real-world problem — to be beta-tested. CGLA was chosen as one of the schools for this test, and I began using it with my students that year. Even as the developers were still working out some of the bugs, I could already tell it would be a resource I could use to engage my students in STEM and extend their career awareness.
In the May 2022 report, Question the Quo, by the ECMC Group, a majority (63%) of teens said they wished they were provided more information about the variety of postsecondary opportunities available. Through the mission-led career exploration platform we tested (available to all Tennessee educators at no cost), I have given this exposure to my students and provided them with an advantage as they make decisions for life after graduation. Particularly important in 2020 and 2021, as we navigated how to continue offering rigorous and engaging tasks from behind masks and desk shields during the COVID-19 pandemic, my students were able to experience real-world problems and applications even when I was restricted from doing so in the usual ways.
STEM careers stem from agency over lessons
Giving my students agency and ownership helps them engage with the content. My girls can choose a mission to complete, and all of them can find an option that suits their interests. Now back in the classroom, the newest mission my students have been able to choose is Building Submarines. As one of the first classes to complete this mission, my students also had the opportunity to meet some of the women working for BlueForge Alliance and the Maritime Industrial Base. One of my students asked to write a letter to someone in the submarine industry so that she could better understand what they do. She was thrilled to receive a reply that gave her insight into their work.
America’s submarine industry will need to hire 140,000 skilled employees over the next 10 years to meet the Navy’s growing demand for submarines. I hope one of my students will be one of the professionals who can help fill this need in the workforce. This early exposure to professionals in the field, information relating to it, and engagement in related activities will lead them to that pursuit.
I have been pleasantly surprised over the years by just how engaged my students are with the complex information they encounter. A recent survey found that 42% of adults would have considered a STEM career if they had better understood the opportunities available. I hope that giving my students this exposure will lead them to pursue a career in STEM successfully.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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