-- Addressing Gender Equity in STEM, ‘Girls Get STEM: Unleash Your Inner Scientist’ to Encourage the Next Generation of Leaders in STEM --
Silver Spring, Md. (Monday, October 15, 2018) – Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced Girls Get STEM: Unleash Your Inner Scientist – a national initiative to spark girls’ interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). The program will provide educators, Girl Scout troop leaders, and families with standards-aligned curriculum aimed at addressing gender equity in STEM education through a series of girl-led, girl-tested and girl-approved resources for students in grades 2-5.
The initiative launches with the Unleash Your Citizen Scientist Virtual Field Trip, premiering on Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT, and will transport students and their teachers from the walls of their schools to a STEM-focused adventure camp alongside the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas at their STEM Center of Excellence. The girl-led adventure will inspire the use of scientific method by all students to help build a better world. Educators, parents and students are welcomed to register for the virtual event here. Viewers are encouraged to join @DiscoveryEd, @GirlScouts, and other experts for a LIVE Twitter chat during the premiere by submitting questions and sending pictures using #CitizenScientistVFT.
“We are excited to collaborate with Discovery Education to inspire young students to dream big as they explore all of the amazing opportunities available to them in STEM fields,” said GSUSA CEO and former rocket scientist Sylvia Acevedo. “We know how important it is to introduce girls to STEM at a young age so that they can see themselves as the scientists, engineers, astronauts, designers, programmers, coders, and creators of the future—and so they know that the possibilities are truly endless.”
Recent findings from the Girl Scout Research Institute’s Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math show 92 percent of girls interested in STEM fields believe they are smart enough to have a career in STEM. However, women continue to be underrepresented in these fields. Girls Get STEM: Unleash Your Inner Scientist aims to change this trend by cultivating girls’ early interest in STEM and associated careers.
“We are proud to join Girl Scouts of the USA in their important work to open STEM pathways for girls by increasing their exposure to STEM’s role in making the world a better place,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. “Girls Get STEM: Unleash Your Inner Scientist is designed to build girls’ confidence in their problem-solving abilities, and together, we will inspire a new generation of women leaders to pursue careers in STEM.”
Leveraging no-cost, digitally immersive, standards-aligned curriculum – including educator resources and virtual experiences – Girls Get STEM: Unleash Your Inner Scientist will spark girls’ interest in STEM and prepare them for the future. Girl Scouts has been the preeminent leadership development organization for girls for over a century, offering opportunities to explore fields like STEM and entrepreneurship in which women are traditionally underrepresented, in a safe all-girl space where they can build confidence and take healthy risks.
“‘Girls Get STEM: Unleash Your Inner Scientist’ will encourage all students—including girls—to see themselves as emerging solution-seekers who aspire to make positive change,” said Karie Hutner, Education Technology Coach, Verona School District, Wisconsin. “Discovery Education and Girl Scouts’ collaboration to ensure that a new generation of young scientists are intrigued by real-world applications of science, technology, engineering and math will equip young innovators with the tools needed to advance our world.”
Resources to expand STEM opportunities and create a more equitable future are available at no cost at GirlsLeadSTEM.com, they will also be available through Discovery Education Streaming. Additionally, these resources are available for use in and out of the classroom. For more information about Discovery Education’s digital content and professional development services, visit discoveryeducation.com. Stay connected with Discovery Education through social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest @DiscoveryEd.
To join or volunteer for Girl Scouts, visit www.girlscouts.org.
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About Girls Scout of USA:
We're 2.6 million strong – 1.8 million girls and 800,000 adults who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. Our extraordinary journey began more than 100 years ago with the original G.I.R.L.™, Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. On March 12, 1912, in Savannah, Georgia, where she organized the very first Girl Scout troop. Every year since, we’ve honored Daisy’s vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. We’re the preeminent leadership development organization for girls, and with programs from coast to coast and across the globe, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. To volunteer, reconnect, donate, or join, visit www.girlscouts.org.
About Discovery Education:
As the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional learning, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries around the globe. Inspired by Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.
