2024 Longitudinal
Study of Alums
We recently conducted a longitudinal study of Science Club for Girls’ (SCFG) alums, in collaboration with the City of Cambridge. Here's an abbreviated summary of the results:
College and Career Readiness​
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99% of alums attended college; 63% studied STEM (76% if STEM-adjacent majors like Economics and Psychology are included)
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67% acknowledged SCFG’s influence on their motivation to pursue STEM in college or as a career
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94% credited SCFG with empowering them to navigate challenges faced by women in STEM
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Academic and STEM Empowerment
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80% credited SCFG with increasing their interest in STEM
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96% attributed their confidence in overcoming academic challenges to SCFG
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90% said SCFG shaped their identity as life-long science learners
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Leadership
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91% felt SCFG had a positive impact in shaping their identity as leaders among peers
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90% acknowledged SCFG’s positive impact in shaping their identity as leaders in their community and/or in their careers​
Alums reported that participation in SCFG provided them with a range of transferable skills that have been crucial in their professional journeys. These skills include: communication, public speaking, mentoring, teamwork, conflict resolution, leadership, problem solving, and awareness of diversity and inclusion.
SCFG alums have successfully utilized their SCFG network to advance their careers in STEM. Key aspects of leveraging connections include: using SCFG networks for internships and jobs, building professional relationships with women in STEM, and successfully navigating male-dominated fields/careers.
Participation in SCFG contributed to the development of strong self-efficacy beliefs among alumni. This includes: identity as entrepreneurs and STEM professionals, confidence in teaching, sense of intelligence and self-worth, sense of professionalism and ambition, confidence in STEM learning abilities, and reliability, honesty, and openness as leaders.