Research shows that girls and young women have ambitions to take on jobs that are creative or ‘do good’ for the world; however they don’t see STEM as a way to connect with those aspirations.
· 72% of girls today say it is important for them to have a job that directly helps the world and 91% describe themselves as creative.
· Only 3 in 5 (60%) girls understand how STEM subjects are relevant for their lives and the types of jobs and things they could do with STEM knowledge.
· When girls learn about real-world STEM jobs and accomplishments, their perception of the creativity and positive impact of STEM doubles in some cases.
Hands-on experience girls get in STEM clubs and activities stokes their interest: 75% of girls who participate in STEM clubs/activities understand the types of jobs and things they could do with STEM knowledge (compared to 53% who do not participate in such activities)
· 77% of girls who participate in hands on STEM activities outside the classroom feel “powerful” when engaging with STEM; yet that feeling of empowerment is less than half as common for those who only experience STEM in the classroom.
With support from parents and teachers, girls are twice as likely to consider studying computer science in high school, and three times as likely to consider studying computer science in college.
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