1. Shari Money
Director of Program and Collaborations

2. The Big Idea
To change how millions of girls (ages 8-13) think about STEM

3. Approach On TV – national PBS Kids series Online
– safe, social networking website
On the Ground
– SciGirls clubs and activities 3

4. History Began as an outreach program of
A summative evaluation found that girls gained:
confidence
a deeper understanding of inquiry
a broadened awareness and interest in science careers 4

5. On TV
Features real girls doing investigations they’re passionate about
Focus is on the total girl, not just her interest in STEM
Highlights the process of science

6. On TV Twelve half-hour episodes: Turtle Mania High-Tech Fashion
Science Cooks!
Underwater Eco-Adventure
Robots to the Rescue!
Star Power
Going Green
Twelve half-hour episodes:
Turtle Mania
Puppet Power
Dolphin Dive
Digging Archaeology
Horsing Around
Blowin’ in the Wind 6

7. Online pbskidsgo.org/scigirls
Girls everywhere can join the SciGirls revolution online at:
pbskidsgo.org/scigirls
Show video. Show website. 7

8. Online Girls make profiles and express themselves by customizing them.8

9. Online
SciGirls can share their own projects. Submit yours today! 9

10. Grade Point Average in High School Mathematics and Science (Combined),
Rationale/Research
Grade Point Average in High School Mathematics and Science (Combined),
by Gender, 1990–2005
Female high school graduates now also earn higher GPAs, on average, in math and science, than their male peers do.
[EXPLAIN GRAPH]
This graph shows students’ average grade point average (GPA) in high school math and science combined over time, by gender.
High school girls now also earn higher GPAs in math and science, on average, than their male peers do.
[OPTIONAL]
It is also important to note that average GPAs in math and science for all students are improving over time.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2007, The Nation's Report Card: America's high school graduates: Results from the 2005 NAEP High School Transcript Study, by C. Shettle et al. (NCES ) (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office). 10

11. Rationale/Research
Intent of First Year College Students to Major in Science and Engineering Fields, by Gender, 2006
Despite the positive trends in high school, the transition from high school to college is a critical time for young women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Women are less likely than men are to plan to declare a STEM major in college.
[Describe the graph]
In 2006 (again, the most recent data available), only about 15% of first-year female college students compared with more than a quarter (25%) of first-year male college students planned to declare a major in the physical sciences, mathematics or statistics, engineering, computer science, or the biological/agricultural sciences.
If, for a moment, we did not consider the biological/agricultural sciences—indicated here in blue and the STEM area women are most likely to major in—only about 5% of first-year female students intend to major in a STEM area in college.
[OPTIONAL]
The data shown here are for 2006, but this trend has been consistent for at least the past 15 years, according to the annual American Freshman Survey conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute.
In 2006, only 0.4% of female first-year students planned to major in computer science, compared with 3.0% of males.
Also in 2006, only about 3% of female first-year students planned to major in engineering compared with about 15% of their male peers.
The physical sciences as listed here include astronomy, atmospheric science, chemistry, earth science, marine science/oceanography, or physics.
Source: Commission on Professionals in Science and Technology. Data derived from Cooperative Institutional Research Program, Higher Education Research Institute, Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, University of California, Los Angeles, The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 1990 through Fall 2006, 11

12. Rationale/Research
Bachelor’s Degrees Earned by Women in Selected Fields, 1966–2006
[EXPLAIN GRAPH]
Women have earned the majority of bachelor’s degrees overall since In 2007, women earned 57% of bachelor’s degrees awarded. Women’s share of bachelor’s degrees varies by discipline.
This graph shows the percentage of bachelor’s degrees earned by women in selected STEM fields over the last four decades.
There are a couple of important things to note here:
First, over the past four decades, the percentage of women receiving degrees in STEM has increased dramatically. For every field except computer science, the trend is upward.
Second, although generally women have increased their share of STEM degrees overall, clearly women’s representation varies by field.
In 2006, in the biological and agricultural sciences, women earned the majority of bachelor’s degrees.
Women earned about half of the bachelor’s degrees in chemistry and math,
But women earned a much smaller percentage of degrees in physics, engineering ,and computer science.
In fact, women’s representation among computer science bachelor’s degree recipients is decreasing. Computer science is a stark reminder that we cannot take women’s progress for granted. In 1986, women earned a third, or one out of every three bachelor’s degrees awarded in computer science; by 2006, women’s share of computer science degrees had dropped to 21% or one out of every five degrees awarded.
[OPTIONAL]
Overall, trends in bachelor’s degree attainment for women by race mirror the overall pattern (i.e., increasing over time). However, in some cases the gender gap in degree attainment for African American men and women and Hispanic men and women is much smaller than we see overall. For example, in 2006, African American women earned 60% of physical sciences degrees awarded to African Americans.
Source: National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, 2008, Science and engineering degrees: 1966–2006 (Detailed Statistical Tables) (NSF ) (Arlington, VA), Table 11, Author's analysis of Tables 34, 35, 38, & 39. 12

13. Percentage of Employed STEM Professionals Who Are Women
Rationale/Research
Percentage of Employed STEM Professionals Who Are Women
Selected Professions, 2008
Women have made tremendous progress in education and the workplace during the past 50 years, including in scientific and engineering fields.
However, women are underrepresented in many science and engineering occupations. This chart shows the percentage of women in selected STEM professions, and although women make up more than half of working biological scientists, they make up less than 7% of mechanical engineers.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2009, Women in the labor force: A databook (Report 1018) (Washington, DC), Table 11. 13

14. Rationale/Research
Boys and girls do not display a significant difference in their abilities in STEM. The cause is social and environmental.
Differences consistently appear in girls’ interest and confidence in STEM subjects, starting at a very young age.
These differences can be linked to a negative self-perception, enhanced by stereotypes. 14

15. SciGirls Seven
1. Girls benefit from collaboration, especially when they can participate and communicate fairly. (Parker & Rennie, 2002; Fancsali, 2002)
Encourage working in small groups
Experiment with:
cooperative groups
(assigned roles)
collaborative groups
(no predetermined roles) 15

16. SciGirls Seven
Speak up promptly if a girl makes a distasteful remark, even jokingly. Set the rules at the start: no teasing or unfriendly talk.
Create a community atmosphere that is open and positive. Start with “icebreaker” activities involving communication and teamwork. 16

17. SciGirls Seven
2. Girls are motivated by projects they find personally relevant and meaningful. (Eisenhart & Finkel, 1998; Thompson & Windschitl, 2005; Liston, Peterson, & Ragan, 2008)
Demonstrate and talk about your own enthusiasm for the scientific material, and how it affects you personally.
Create a “need to know.” Ask yourself - why would kids need to know this?
Use case studies. 17 17

18. SciGirls Seven Try an activity without step-by-step directions.
3. Girls enjoy hands-on, open-ended projects and investigations. (Chatman, Nielsen, Strauss, & Tanner, 2008; Burkam, Lee, & Smerdon,1997; Fanscali, 2002)
Try an activity without step-by-step directions.
Resist the urge to intervene. Practice this by keeping your hands in your pockets throughout the activity.
Encourage girls to suggest approaches to a problem. When stumped, have girls start by identifying, drawing, or labeling things they do understand.
Resist answering the question “Is this right?” 18

19. SciGirls Seven
4. Girls are motivated when they can approach projects in their own way, applying their creativity, unique talents and preferred learning styles. (Eisenhart & Finkel,1998; Calabrese Barton, Tan, & Rivet, 2008)
Allow girls to design their own experiments. Act as a facilitator rather than a leader or expert.
Use girls’ language to reiterate their point. Don’t reword unless you have permission from the speaker. 19 19

20. SciGirls Seven
Help girls feel that they are valued members of a group by asking them to share personal stories.
Encourage girls to communicate their findings in a variety of ways: poetry, music, posters, plays, 2D- and 3D-models, drawings, etc. 20

21. SciGirls Seven
5. Girls’ confidence and performance improves in response to specific, positive feedback on things they can control – such as effort, strategies and behaviors. (Halpern, et al., 2007; Zeldin & Pajares, 2000; Blackwell, Trzesniewski, & Sorich Dweck, 2007; Mueller & Dweck, 1998)
Reward success publicly and immediately. Focus on specific contributions by each girl.
Convey the same level of respect for and confidence in the abilities of all your girls. Introduce girls to the good work done by their peers. 21

22. SciGirls Seven
Avoid statements such as “You are really good at this!” They send the message that success comes naturally.
Let a girl know you believe she can improve and succeed over time. The brain is a “muscle” that can get stronger with time; skills can be improved with practice. 22

23. SciGirls Seven
6. Girls gain confidence and trust in their own reasoning when encouraged to think critically. (Chatman, et al., 2008; Eisenhart & Finkel,1998)
Let girls embrace the scientific process. It is okay to make mistakes; there is more than one way to solve a problem.
Support an environment free of “instant answers.” Address girls’ anxiety about not getting the answer by refocusing their attention on the problem at hand.
It’s okay to disagree. Stress the importance of considering different approaches and viewpoints. Remind girls of the importance of using solid evidence when making a claim. 23

24. SciGirls Seven Invite guest speakers from all levels.
7. Girls benefit from relationships with role models and mentors. (Liston, et al., 2008; Evans, Whigham, & Wang, 1995)
Invite guest speakers from all levels.
Invite guest scientists to help lead an activity. If you are unsure of their comfort level working with children, pair them with other educators or leaders.
Show videos of female scientists. 24

25. Activity Guides Aligned to National Standards! SciGirls Engineer It
SciGirls Get Tech
SciGirls Go Green
SciGirls Live Healthy
pbs.org/teachers/scigirls 25

26. en Español Activities and video in Spanish and English
Aligned to National Science Standards
More resources coming! 26

27. Every Girl can be a SciGirl!
Looking for more?
pbskidsgo.org/scigirls
pbs.org/teachers/scigirls
pbs.org/parents/scigirls
tpt.org/scigirls/outreach
facebook.com/scigirlstv
twitter.com/SciGirls
Every Girl can be a SciGirl! 27