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

Program for Elementary/ Middle School YouthWomen’s historical underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)is evident at all junctures of the pipeline from elementary education to industry. Providingstudents with STEM experiences is one method of alleviating this gender imbalance and building21st Century Skills. At Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), outreach programs in roboticstend to be primarily boys. Based on WPI’s success in offering single-gender programming tobuild self-efficacy, the university added a section of robotics for girls only. To measureoutcomes, WPI collaborated with the PEAR Institute: Partnerships in Education and Resilienceat Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital