funded by a grant from the national science foundation, gse/ext: stem equity pipeline project, grant...

Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, GSE/EXT: STEM Equity Pipeline Project, Grant No. HRD-0734056 © 2009 National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity

Mimi Lufkin, CEO, NAPE Education Foundation

Dr. Monica Bruning, Iowa State University

Spark Talented Minority Girls' Interest in EngineeringThe FREE Project (Female Recruits Explore Engineering)


Poll

• How did you hear about this webinar?– Email from the STEM Equity Pipeline listserv– Email from another listserv (Q&A)– Email forwarded from a colleague– Presentation at a conference (Q&A)– Announcement in the Pipeline Press– Announcement in another newsletter (Q&A)– STEM Equity Pipeline website– Another website (Q&A)– Search engine result


STEM Equity Pipeline

• Project of the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation

• Funded by the National Science Foundation

• Human Resources Directorate, Gender in Science and Engineering Program, Extension Services Grant


Goals

• Build the capacity of the formal education community to provide high quality professional development on gender equity in STEM education

• Institutionalize the implemented strategies by connecting the outcomes to existing accountability systems

• Broaden the commitment to gender equity in STEM education


STEM Equity Pipeline Project Methods

• Professional Development • Teacher Training• Consulting and Technical Assistance• Virtual Web-based Professional Learning

Community• Best Practices Handbook


How can you get involved?

• Participate on your State Team if from – CA, GA, IA, IL, MN, MO, – OH, OK, NH, TX, WI

• Participate in the virtual learning community by going to www.stemequitypipeline.org


Poll

Who is participating in today’s webinar?1. School/College Administrator

2. Teacher/Faculty Member

3. Counselor/Student Services Staff

4. State Agency Staff

5. STEM Organization Staff

6. Other (Q&A)

Spark Talented Minority Girls Interest in Engineering The FREE Project

(Female Recruits Explore Engineering)

STEM Equity Pipeline Webinar – 1/27/11

The FREE Project was funded by the National Science Foundation, Grant # 0624689/0624537.

STEM Equity Pipeline Webinar

Monica Bruning, Ph.D. Iowa State [email protected]://www.public.iastate.edu/

~bruning/

Researchers and Project CoordinatorsJill Bystydzienski, Ph.D.Ohio State [email protected]://artsandhumanities.osu.edu/people/person.cfm?ID=2466

Margaret Eisenhart, Ph.D.University of [email protected]://www.colorado.edu/education/faculty/margareteisenhart/



Graduate Students and Post-docs: Erin Allaman, Adriane Brown, Krista Gauthier, Zayira Jordan, Julia Kantor, Daria Kotys-Schwartz, Jennifer Lang, Terra Morris, Rema Nilakanta, Rachel Prosser, Kate Starbird, Chandra Turpen, April Walker

Demographics

Population• 131• High Achieving• Mostly

minority• Lower SES

Locations• Iowa• Colorado• Ohio

Sites• 10 schools• 6 districts

STEM Equity Pipeline Webinar The FREE Project was funded by the National Science Foundation, Grant # 0624689/0624537.

1. What do girls want to know about engineering?2. How does the prospect of engineering fit with girls’ lives? 3. How does social positioning (SES, first generation college,

immigrant, geographic, racial/ethnic) affect perspectives on engineering?

4. How and why do interests change over time?

Research Questions



Major finding: Retention




FREEngineering Toolkit


• Project ideas came quickly and in some detail.

• The girls nominated over 60 projects, and eventually settled on 26 to pursue.• “Build, Make or Invent Something”

• “Meet a Personal, Family, or Community Need Through Engineering”

• “Work on a Safety Issue Through Engineering”

• “Create a Virtual World”

• “Enter a Contest in Engineering”

• “Start a Business Around an Engineered Project”

• “Develop a Presentation About Engineering”

• Nearly 40% were considering engineering at end of program, including 24% who were not considering it at the beginning.

• Approximately 60% were more interested in engineering at the end.

65% of the girls who continued with FREE:




Build, Make or Invent Something:◦ Key/remote finder◦ Thermal clothing (can control temp to make warmer or colder)◦ Powdered water◦ Translator for different accents◦ Head band that changes hair color◦ Harry Potter style picture frame (moving pictures)◦ Remote controlled windows and doors◦ Implantable telephone◦ Stain resistant seat covers◦ Transportable biosphere to be placed on Mars◦ Coma communicator◦ Adjustable shoe heel (can go from flats to stilettos in seconds)

FREE Second Year Engineering Project Ideas



Meet a Personal, Family, or Community Need Through Engineering◦ Turn signals/lights for wheelchairs◦ Lotion that lasts all day◦ Dialysis patient entertainment◦ Money that allows the blind to determine the amount◦ Remote controlled cart◦ Playground for handicapped kids◦ Voice activated/controlled computer◦ Air filter for entire school (removes odors from stink bombs, onions,

etc.)◦ Pedestrian overpass/bridge or underpass/tunnel on busy streets◦ Alternative to pesticides




Work on a Safety Issue Through Engineering◦ Ice grips◦Really hard /safe motorcycle helmet◦Motion sensor for cars◦Steel toed non-stick shoes for girls◦Protective body suit for kids (lightweight and flexible;

waterproof, fire proof)




Create a Virtual World◦Weightless virtual world◦Mars station◦Platform for a homecoming float modeled after plate

tectonics◦Baby translator (translates ooos and coos)◦Create an amusement park◦Build a mall



At the end of Year 2, the girls were commenting on how much more interested they were in pursuing engineering and how much more they knew about engineering after doing the projects. “In designing the playground, we incorporated different types of engineering—computer, mechanical and civil engineering. It was especially interesting to do the computer 3D design that [the mentor] helped us with….The project helped me to realize that I really could be an engineer and now I really want to major in it in college.” (Chelsea, OH)


Outcome


Year 2 projects “The best part about our project was when we actually began making it. When we started working on our shirts and putting the lights together it brought all the pieces of our research together and it wasn't just a design on paper anymore, we actually made something we could feel, use, and actually see it work….I’m a lot more interested in engineering now than I was a year ago because I got to see how many different things you can do.” (Sophia, CO)


Outcomes: Continued



Enter a Contest in Engineering◦ Rube Goldberg

Start a Business Around an Engineered Product◦ Market products from other topic areas◦ Solar powered jewelry◦ Electronic notebook and pen◦ A whistle to help find your car in a parking lot (your car whistles back)




Solar Powered Jewelry Projectwww.xploreengineering.org


High school was not too late to spark interest in engineering among these talented girls.“I learned there’s a lot more to engineering than I thought there was. Like, you can work with animals and agriculture. I thought it was just math and machines all the time. But, you really get to work with people. And it was pretty fun.” (Chloe, IA – Year 1)

Outcomes Summary



FREE participants became curious about engineering as a field of employment and career development.“[I realized] how much time and devotion I need for a career in engineering. I don’t mean that in a lazy way, I would just like to see if I’m cut out for a job such as engineering.” (Rose, IA – Year 1).


Outcomes Summary continued


As their interest grew, FREE participants began to question why there were so few women in engineering.“My view of engineering has changed over the past year, based on the number of women involved. The main disadvantage to me is the fact that the field lacks numbers of women. The advantages to becoming an engineer are countless, because of the demand. I think that my generation has many more women who are interested in the field of engineering; [so] the number of women should increase.” (Remy, CO)




The young women’s thoughts about engineering evolved over time.“I had never really considered engineering as a potential career possibility until FREE came along. I’d always enjoyed science and most of math… and had thought mostly about using that interest to pursue a career in the sciences. Although I enjoy solving puzzles, both cardboard and real-life, building wasn’t a special interest of mine‚ which is what I previously considered engineering to be…. I used to think that I knew what I wanted to pursue in college, but lately the decision has begun to seem more infinite as more options show themselves.” (Samantha, OH – Year 2)




At graduation, those FREE participants who expressed interest in pursuing engineering as a career attributed this in large part to their participation in FREE. “My view of engineering really changed big time. I used to see engineering as a boring career--having to do a lot of math papers and etc. It turns out that engineering is much more than that. Now I see it as a career of exploring with your ideas, using your brains, your skills, and everything else to create invent and discover many things.” (Angel, CO)


Outcomes: The End (High School)


High-achieving girls know little or nothing about engineering – they can’t choose if they don’t know

Opportunity abounds – together we can make a difference

Reality and The Call



Temporary site for Tool kit◦https://sites.google.com/site/freengineeringt

oolkit/

Permanent site for Tool kit ◦FREE Website http

://www.xploreengineering.org

FREE Toolkit and FREE Website



https://sites.google.com/site/freengineeringtoolkit/



http://xploreengineering.org/

http://xploreengineering.org/


Thank You


Monica J. Bruning, Ph.D.Senior Research Associate and LecturerEducational Leadership and PolicyIowa State UniversityAmes, Iowa 50010

515.294.9963 office515.294.4942 [email protected]

Contact Information



funded by a grant from the national science foundation, gse/ext: stem equity pipeline project, grant...

Documents

equity education foundation

gender equity

national alliance

equity poll

equity goals

stem education slide

engineering slide

equity mimi lufkin