3 Ways to Help Girls Break Barriers in STEM Fields

3 Ways to Help Girls Break Barriers in STEM Fields

Oct 19, 2018 | STEAM education |

Scratch Programming | There are increasingly high demands for STEM and computer science professionals in the job market nowadays. However, only a few girls and young women are likely to pursue STEM related degrees and careers.

Girls and young women might have the interest and ability to learn STEM skills. Instead, the stereotype that “computing is only for boys,” and gender inequality in the workplace can slow down or even block them from pursuing a career in this field.

The lack of female representation in STEM-related career fields has drawn more and more attention reccently. Also, voices for gender equality are louder than ever before. Mblock, as a Scratch programming based graphical software, offers three ways to help overcome the barriers girls and young women in the STEM fields.

Introduce STEM skills to girls at an early age

An ideal way to cultivate girls’ interest in STEM knowledge is to get them in touch with the subject at an early age.

Do not think STEM skills are too complicated for girls. Instead, introducing STEM skills to them like any other subjects. Parents and educators can make good use of diverse resources that are specifically designed to generate excitement in children toward learning STEM subjects. Such as mblock, a Scratch Programming based software that used for programming for kids.

A great many educational software programs in the market today simplify the process of programing and coding, making kids enjoy learning. For example, mBlock, based on Scratch Programming 3.0, makes programming as easy as using building blocks. By following the software’s instructions, girls can learn the basics of programming and complete projects by themselves. It can stimulate their interest in STEM-related subjects.

Provide more positive female role models for girls to look up to

Role models are important and have considerable impact on a young person’s choices.

Because female role models remain underrepresented in STEM fields, it’s hard for many girls to picture themselves studying and working in this field.

Luckily, more and more institutions and individuals have realized this problem and are working hard to solve it. Many female STEM-based professionals have gotten involved in different kinds of mentorship programs. They are willing to share their experiences of learning STEM subjects or pursuing STEM careers. This can inspire females to identify their own career paths in STEM fields.

Build a supportive STEM learning environment and community for girls

According to Microsoft’s study, only 36% of girls will purse the career in STEM arears, even without parental encouragement.

But when they receive verbal encouragement from their parents, over 65% of middle-school girls are likely to study computer science in high school. It is obvious that a supportive environment has a positive impact on girls’ interest in exploring STEM areas.

In the past few years, a lot of online communities, such as mBlock forum and STEM camp, were founded to better support girls who are interested in developing STEM skills. Girls can find tutorials, courses, and projects specifically designed for them.

Moreover, they can communicate and cooperate with other like-minded females within the community. This has a positive impact on their STEM skills, creativity and confidence.

Gender equality is essential in every industry, and it is critical in the STEM fields. We should all be striving to explore the full potential of girls and young women in STEM fields. The talent they can bring to the field in the future will contribute tremendously to the technological innovation.

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