Ventureprise Launch 2.0 Participant Abi Olukeye on Why Girl Focused STEM Education Matters
Just a few months ago, a completely digital lifestyle seemed at least one generation away. The Covid-19 pandemic has made that future a reality much sooner than we are prepared for, leaving the global economy scrambling to figure out how to thrive in it.
Consequently, the demand for professionals that work in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) continues to outpace the general labor market, far surpassing our ability to fill these jobs with existing pipelines. Female underrepresentation in STEM fields contributes significantly to the shortage in STEM talent in the United States, which is projected to translate into a $454 billion loss in economic output for manufacturing alone by 2028.
To develop any meaningful solutions to the STEM gender gap, it is important to get to the root cause of why STEM outcomes are different between male and female learners.
While many studies have been published highlighting several sociocultural and contextual factors that impact STEM pipeline persistence for females, the following two perceptions appear to significantly influence differences in motivation towards STEM careers.