Conference Session

Pre K-12 Track - Technical Session VI

Collection

2018 CoNECD - The Collaborative Network for Engineering and Computing Diversity Conference

Authors

Suzanne Sontgerath, Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Ryan Nicole Meadows, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Tagged Topics

Diversity, Pre K-12 Education

scienceexperiences.IntroductionSince the early 1990s, researchers have been exploring the reasons for the gender disparity inSTEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and developing interventions designed toincrease the numbers of women entering STEM fields. Experts agree that a diverse STEMworkforce leads to global competitiveness and better economic outcomes for all involved [1]. Ina 2009 study of for-profit corporations, Herring found that gender diversity in the workforcecould be connected to greater sales, more customer acquisitions and ultimately larger profits [2].Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects growth rates for STEM occupationsof about 13% between 2012 and 2022, which is faster than average for all occupations. Workersin STEM