 Where are all the female computer scientists?
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 More and more female secondary and high school students are comfortable and interested in science and technology, but is that translating into science career choices? In the article "Computer Science Continues to See Gender Gap," author David Nagel cites a recent report done by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and the WGBH Educational Foundation based on a survey of college-bound high school students (n=1,406). The report reveals that 46% of boys see "computing, computer science, and information technology as a good or very good career choice," but only 26% of girls do.
The article links to a PDF of the report where you can read more results and find out why this might be the case. It turns out that the girls surveyed were more likely than the boys to use negative words such as "boring," "hard" and "nerd" when they did a word association with "computing."
How do you change how girls see a career in computer science? You break the stereotypes and introduce them to hip, happy female role models working with computers and loving it!
Read more of "Computer Science Continues to See Gender Gap" by David Nagel in the June 2009 digital edition of Campus Technology.
Read the official report, "New Image for Computing: Report on Market Research April 2009 (PDF)."
Looking for some great female role models? Check out the 35 Career Videos of Role Models.
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New! SciGirls - Science for Girls, by Girls! Has a Blog |
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 DragonflyTV's SciGirls features a group of hip, racially diverse girls from around the country who make science fun and make the perfect role models for your female students. Now SciGirls has a blog targeted at girls ages 11-14 that you can share with your students as a standalone recruitment tool, or paired with the DVDs and activity guides!
Started in January 2009, the blog already has dozens of posts ranging from videos and stories about science adventures to the "SciGirls Extraordinaire" series. The newest blog post is a story, "Behind the Scenes: Archaeology Adventure," and follows Jazzy and Gates, two SciGirls, as they team up with an archaeology curator for four days of digging and camping. Read further for "SciGirls Extraordinaire" posts celebrating real-life SciGirls, like Eden Maloney, a pre-teen who volunteers twice a week at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California preparing skulls, whiskers, pelts and other parts for teaching and research. If you or your students like what you read, you can post comments letting the SciGirls know what you think!
Check out the SciGirls blog, "the ultimate destination for girls who love science!"
Preview the SciGirls - Science for Girls, by Girls! DVDs and activity guides.
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Science: It's a Girl Thing! on Facebook |
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 Do you know any 3-8 year old girls who would like to make a mystery bottle, add food dye in their favorite color and shake as hard as they can? Whether you are an educator or a parent, Science: It's a Girl Thing provides free downloadable PDF activity cards and educational videos narrated by and starring young girls experimenting with fun science activities.
Right now you can watch two videos on the Science: It's a Girl Thing Facebook page, including a video of Kayla and her Mom making a mystery bottle with oil and water, and read the comments and linked articles. When complete, there will be ten activity cards and four videos. You don't need a Facebook account to access the Science: It's a Girl Thing Facebook page, but if you'd like to join the discussion you might want to sign up!
Funded by the National Science Foundation and developed by the Educational Equity Center at AED, "Science: It's a Girl Thing is using the power of social media to connect with parents and educators about how to foster girls' interest in science and technology, and why that is important." Even if you don't use these materials in your classroom, share them with your students' parents! Every activity is designed to be easy to do at home.
Visit the Science: It's a Girl Thing Facebook page and watch the videos.
Want more social networking? Follow Science: It's a Girl Thing on Twitter.
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29th National WomenTech Educators Train-the-Trainer Workshop in San Francisco, July 23 and 24, 2009 |
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 Strategies that work! Here is some breaking news from the nation's expert on preparing women and girls for technology careers...
Donna Milgram, Executive Director of IWITTS, conducts her fast-paced interactive workshop for technology instructors, school administrators, counselors, school-to-career, tech-prep and equity coordinators. Ms. Milgram is the woman who has conducted national and state training and workshops in 42 states, including:
In particular:
- The WomenTech Training is based on best practices, is always solutions oriented, and is "a lot of fun" according to our male and female educator participants. Here, you can develop an action plan to recruit women to your traditionally male-dominated classes, then put the plan to action right away to retain women in your classrooms with both high school and community college recruitment strategies.
- In IWITTS's NSF funded CalWomenTech Project, the schools that implemented the recruitment strategies actually saw an increase in female enrollment of 10%-15% within 16 months. In addition, schools that successfully implemented the retention strategies had both an increase in the completion rates of women (some by as much at 20%-40%) as well as men.
- You can learn a menu of new recruitment strategies that cost just a little or nothing at all based on proven best practice methods from urban, rural and suburban schools. Become skilled at putting on a WomenTech Career Expo and make girl geeks cool in your school!
- Concentrate on an in-depth module on gender differences in learning styles. Learn how to excite and engage female students in technology by teaching to their learning style; help technophobic female students overcome their fear of breaking the computer; incorporate bridge activities and course modules that will enable ALL of your students to succeed in the technology classroom, and much more!
- Work through case studies with your colleagues on retention problems that arise in classes where the number of female students is small. Help your female students withstand negative peer pressure and connect with their female role models.
Send three or more participants from the same school and receive $50 off the participant price!
"Whether teaching in the curricular area of Technology education, teaching Information Technology or teaching vocational education - Natl. IWITTS Training is a must." -Tom Frawley, Past President, New York State Technology Education Association (NYSTEA)
"This workshop really answered my questions on how to interest women in IT careers, and also how to retain them. I feel I have a bag of tricks to take back home." -Toni Black, Asst. Professor, University of New Mexico
"This workshop is about empowering people and providing opportunities don't miss it!"-Owen Takamori, Cisco Networking Academy Program Instructor, Mililani High School, Mililani, Hawaii
"Materials are excellent. Lots of great ideas to go back to school with. Thanks Donna! I came to IWITTS conference to learn to recruit and retain women in technology fields at my community college. Everything we covered from videos, presentations to case studies answered my questions and helped validate programs/ideas already implemented. Thank you!" -Michael Bishop, NSF Coordinator, Onondaga Community College, Syracuse, NY
"This workshop provides participants with a plethora of useful strategies for recruiting and retaining girls and women in technical programs. An exceptional education experience." -Shirley Chenault, Ed.D. Dean of Resource Development, Weatherford College, Texas
"The best part of this WomenTech training was the abundance of solutions and recommendations to address the problems we face in the classroom and the workplace." - Charnell B. Slaughter, Outreach Coordinator, Puget Sound Center for Teaching and Learning Technology, Bothell, Washington
Bring our WomenTech workshop to you!!! We provide trainings for NSF ATE Centers, states, regions and individual schools and colleges. Contact Donna Milgram for more information. Contact Us.
Don't wait, sign up now for our July workshop.
"Thanks for providing the class at ITEA in New Mexico; I really got a lot out of it. I have been very successful with recruiting more girls for my after school programs."-John Singer, Technology Education, Hanby Middle School, Wilmington, DE.
Click here for more information on the WomenTech Educators Workshop!
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Career Videos of Women in 35 High Wage, High Demand Science, Technology and Trades Occupations |
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 We are so excited to bring you these 35 outstanding career videos featuring women in traditionally male jobs that will inspire your female students to enter these technology, trades and science occupations!
Each 24-minute DVD reveals the personal experiences and insights of successful role models in technology and trades. They send the message that the sky is the limit to women and girls! Career areas range from Automotive and Aviation to Engineering, Robotics and Automation, to Heavy Equipment Operation.
Our career series will make a great addition to any career counseling center, library, technology classroom, or outreach team! Purchase the DVDs individually or as a 35-DVD set.
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Think Women Can't? Think Again - Poster Series |
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IWITTS is pleased to offer its two specialized poster series: Think Women Can't? Think Again
1)Women in Technology & Trades
Think Women Can't? Think Again! set of 7 posters
and
2) Women in Engineering
Think Women Can't? Think Again! set of 7 posters
These large, colorful posters come in sets of 7 occupational areas in tech/trades or engineering and are perfect for school classrooms, counseling offices and hallways.
Preview all Think Women Can't Be: Think Again Posters |
PicoCricket Kits Teach Your Female Students Robotics, Engineering and Programming Skills! |
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 We're delighted to bring you PicoCricket Kits to engage your female students in robotics, programming, math, science, and engineering principles! PicoCrickets are tiny computers that can make things spin, light up, and play music! As your female students work on PicoCricket project themes, they learn important math, science, and engineering principles -- and gain a deeper understanding of the process of design and invention. Your girls (or boys!) can plug lights, motors, sensors, and other devices into a PicoCricket, then program them to react, interact, and communicate. Let your students' creativity thrive with the many possibilities that PicoCrickets provide!
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Featured Tools |
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Women in Science Kits Provide 9 Real Women Scientists as Role Models for Your Students!
PicoCricket Kits will teach your female students robotics, engineering and programming skills!
These 35 career videos will inspire your female students to enter exciting tech, trades and science occupations!
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Quick Links |
The CalWomenTech Learning Library identifies software and pubs for educators and students that boost tech building block skills.
The WomenTech Portal connects educators with research-based articles on recruiting and retaining women in technology.
WomenTech Proven Practices Library
Research-based articles for educators on recruiting and retaining more women in the technology classroom. View article descriptions and choose which articles to download - free.
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Our Mission |
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IWITTS provides the tools to successfully integrate women into male-dominated careers -- such as technology and law enforcement -- via our training, publications, products, e-strategies, and NSF-research projects.
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