“To get girls to imagine life on Mars, experts say they need more mentors on Earth.”
Science Club for Girls was recently featured by WGBH alongside the “Galactic Girls” at Plouffe Academy, in a story that highlighted the need to expose more girls and young women to careers in STEM and provide them with mentors and role models who help show them what’s possible.
The article highlights research showing that girls as young as 6 years old (that’s 1st grade!) often lose interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics due to stereotypes that girls are less interested and capable than boys in those fields. Mentors are a critical component to counteract those stereotypes by helping girls see themselves succeeding in STEM, as Mentors at Science Club do so well. (Over 60% of SCFG Mentors are themselves women underrepresented in STEM.)
During the segment, Eloisa S., a former Science Club participant and current Junior Mentor, shares: “[Being part of Science Club] opened so many doors for a lot of us. It's helped pave ways to career paths that a lot of us didn't think we could actually do.”
Providing girls mentors who look like them and share similar life experiences is essential to addressing the current inequities and lack of diversity in the STEM workforce. Nearly half of the United States' workforce is women, but only 27% work in STEM fields, according to U.S. census data. In Massachusetts, where STEM is now the most rapidly growing field, women make up only 29% of that workforce outside of healthcare.
The WGBH segment goes on to illuminate the economic impact of getting girls and young women onto a path to careers in STEM, highlighting that on average, STEM jobs pay $30,000 more per year than the average annual pay across all industries in the state of Massachusetts. “This is a way to lift up families and communities. These are good paying jobs. And so, you know, why not tap into the talent?” says Lily Mendez, CEO of Mass Mentoring Partnership.
Thank you to WGBH for the spotlight, and thank you to Eloisa and all the Junior Mentors and Mentors who show up every week to share their love for STEM with Science Club participants. These Mentors not only nurture girls’ interest in STEM, but also provide a powerful sense of community, belonging, and socio-emotional support—which can be life-changing!