August 2010
STEM EQUITY PIPELINE NEWS
News from Wisconsin: Young students explore science, engineering
Participants in the recent Plymouth Science Adventures Week built roller coasters,
earthquake-resistant buildings and alternative-energy vehicles. They also took and
tested water samples at Meyer Nature Park.
Learn More
News from Ohio: STEMScape
STEMscape is a monthly newsletter of the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN). The
newsletter is designed to share innovations and best practices occurring across
Ohio's Network of STEM schools, programs and partners both inside and outside Ohio.
Learn More
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON
Woolsey STEM Bill Has Been Introduced
H.R.6078 is intended to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
to provide grants to local educational agencies to encourage girls and underrepresented
minorities to pursue studies and careers in science, mathematics, engineering, and
technology.
Learn More at Thomas.gov
ARTICLES
Questioning Value of Science Degrees
(John Morgan, Inside Higher Ed)
An academic believes he has found evidence to refute the case that increased university
provision of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects is
needed to aid the economy. There is "no significant relationship" between a nation's
economic growth rate and the number of STEM students, according to an analysis by
Paul Whiteley, professor of politics at the University of Essex.
Read More
Male and Female Ability Differences Down to Socialization, Not Genetics
(Robin McKie, The Observer)
Behavioural differences between the sexes are not hard-wired at birth but are the
result of society's expectations, say scientists.
Read More
A Geek Speaks About Women in Engineering
(Smita Shah, Chicago Tribune)
Hearing a woman's voice on the telephone, the customer insisted there must have
been some mix-up. "You don't understand," he told me dismissively, "I need to talk
to the engineer." I'm used to it. As the founder and president of an architectural
and engineering firm in Chicago, I know the feeling of walking into a room to meet
other engineers and seeing puzzled expressions on their faces: Why is this woman
in the room? Here's a better question to be posed in engineering circles: Why aren't
more women in the room?
Learn More
Teachers Can Close Gender Gap in Classroom Leadership During Medical School, Study
Finds
(Elaine Schmidt, UCLA Classrrom)
Half of first-year medical students in the U.S. are women, yet a new UCLA study
shows that they volunteer for leadership roles in the classroom significantly less
than their male counterparts. Subtle encouragement from teachers, however, can even
out the playing field by boosting female students' willingness to identify themselves
as leaders.
Learn More
U.S. Tech Industry's Growing Demand for Talent Draws Concern
(Tracie McDaniel, Daily Tech)
A growing demand for workers trained in STEM in the U.S. has companies looking for
alternative ways to secure their work forces. Nearly 30 percent of industry workers
are 50 to 59 years old. An anticipated wave of retirements in those industries has
companies concerned about finding and retaining qualified workers in the U.S.
Learn More
NASA Collaboration with Mary J. Blige Encourages Young Women to Pursue Science
(CNN Wire Staff)
NASA said Wednesday that it is collaborating with recording artist Mary J. Blige
to encourage girls and young women to pursue careers by studying science, technology,
engineering and mathematics -- collectively known as STEM. A public service announcement
featuring shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin and Blige will begin running this week
on NASA TV and on the agency's website.
Learn
More
Program Inspires Hispanic Students to Explore Math, Science-related Careers
(Steve Fetbrandt, SWRNN)
Nearly 70 Hispanic students were encouraged Wednesday to unlock their potential
and give something back to the community during the keynote address for this year's
Summer Bridge Program at Mt. San Jacinto College. The four-day event, which exposes
underprivileged students to careers in science, technology, math and engineering,
was held this year on the college's Menifee Valley Campus.
Learn More
Three in Five Americans Say U.S. Has Long Way to Go to Reach Gender Equality
When it comes to whether things are fine between men and women, the nation is split
- just over half of Americans (52%) disagree that things are fine between the genders
while 43% say things are fine. But men and women have a different take on the situation
with over half of men (55%) believing things are fine compared to just one-third
(32%) of women who say the same.
Learn More
25 Best Paying Jobs for Women
(Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com)
When you look at Forbes magazine's most recent list of highest-paid CEO's (chief
executives of the 500 biggest companies in the United States), you won't see a woman
until No. 48: Irene B Rosenfeld, CEO of Kraft Foods. In a country where women make
up 47 percent of the workforce, women make up just 3 percent of Fortune 500 CEO's.
In addition, women who worked full time earned an average of just 80 percent of
what men earned in the same positions in 2008, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics.
Learn More
NAPE 2011 PDI
The 2001 NAPE Professional Development Institute will be held on Monday, April 11-14,
at the Doubletree Crystal City, VA.
RESOURCES
HEAD RUSH premiered August 23. The programming block is
the cornerstone of a fully integrated on-air, online and educational strategy to
catapult science out of the classroom and crash it into the real world.
"Civil Engineering" is the theme for the Engineering Education Service Center's Fall 2010 Poster Contest.
The
Society of Women Engineers has released its 2010 comprehensive review of
the most impactful STEM-related literature.
NWCIT's By the
Numbers: Statistics about Women and IT presents the most compelling statistics
on women's participation in computing and information technology, on a single page.
American Institute
of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation Classroom Grants are awarded
to encourage excellence in educating students about STEM.
The National
Science Teachers Association Distinguished Service to Science Education Award
recognizes those who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of
science education.
SAVE THE DATE
2010 National
Conference for Science and Technology Out-of-School Time Universal City,
CA, September 22-24, 2010
USA Science &
Engineering Festival: October 10-24, 2010, Washington, DC
First Annual STEMtech Conference:
October 31-November 3, 2010, Orlando, FL
National Girls Collaborative
Conference: October 21-22, 2010, Washington, DC
AAUW National Convention:
Breaking through Barriers--Advocating for Change, June 16-19, 2011, Washington,
DC
DISCLAIMER
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions, or recommendations expressed in the material
published in the NAPE Update are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect
the views of NAPE. Furthermore, inclusion of a product, program, or practice in
the NAPE Update does not imply its endorsement by NAPE.
MATERIALS USE POLICY
Please note that material found on NAPE's website or distributed via any other means
and created by the NAPE and/or the NAPE Education Foundation is copyrighted.
Learn more about the materials use policy