Optimistic Signs for Females in STEM

Recently there have been several positive signs of encouraging girls and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) careers:

1) Girls Who Code

First, news from GirlsWhoCode.com:

Girls Who Code has teamed up with Penguin to release 13 books for girls about computer science and coding. The first books are out now and immediately hit The New York Times Best Seller List. You can also expect to see a coding-themed journal, activity book, board books, and more!

The first two books were published on August 22, 2017 — one fiction and one nonfiction — and although the books appear aimed at girls ages 8 to 12, I immediately bought both books.

The fiction one is THE FRIENDSHIP CODE #1 by Stacia Deutsch. It is a typical Middle Grade novel with the teen girls solving a mystery about coding.

One important note: There is an error on page 119 of the print edition. The 3 should be 4 so that the correct coding line reads:

string friend_name_4 = “Erin”;

I’m now reading the nonfiction book GIRLS WHO CODE: LEARN TO CODE AND CHANGE THE WORLD by Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code.

On the Girls Who Code site there is this explanation of why the organization’s mission matters:

Computing is where the jobs are — and where they will be in the future, but fewer than 1 in 5 computer science graduates are women.

The organization also offers school club programs and summer immersion programs.

2) Project MC² series on Netflix

I just came across this series PROJECT MC² on Netflix featuring trendy teen girls doing science experiments. I immediately bought the accompanying book THE PRETTY BRILLIANT EXPERIMENT BOOK by Jade Hemsworth.

Here from YouTube is one such experiment:

3) Beverly Hills 8th grader Leia Gluckman finalist in national STEM competition

On September 22, 2017, the Beverly Hills Courier carried this front-page news:

When Beverly Vista student Leia Gluckman entered the district Science Fair last year as a 7th grader, she knew exactly what she wanted to create — a product to help the homeless. A volunteer at the teen homeless shelter Safe Place For Youth in Venice [California] since she was 4 years old, Leia said that helping people live better lives has always been in her heart.

After several experiments and 13 difference formulas, Leia successfully created a powder cleanser that would work as a toothpaste, a dry shampoo and a body powder — the perfect all-in-one cleanser for someone with very little.

Leia was named a Top 30 finalist in the Broadcom MASTERS (Math, Applied Science, Technology and Engineering Rising Stars), “a prestigious national Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) competition for middle school students.”

An important paragraph in the Beverly Hills Courier news story:

For the second year in a row, there will be an equal number of male and female finalists competing. Ten of the finalists, selected from a record high of 2,499 applications by a panel of scientists and engineers, are from California.

FYI — The mission of the Broadcom Foundation is:

Broadcom Foundation empowers young people to be STEM literate, critical thinkers and college and career-ready by creating multiple pathways and equitable access to achieve the 21st century skills they need to succeed as engineers, scientists and innovators of the future.

P.S. Film2Future for under-served female and male teens

And if you are looking to donate to a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that helps under-served female and male teens in their career paths, check out Film2Future.com

Phyllis Zimbler Miller (@ZimblerMiller) has an M.B.A. from The Wharton School and is the author of fiction and nonfiction books/ebooks. Phyllis is available by skype for book group discussions and may be reached at pzmiller@gmail.com

Her Kindle fiction ebooks may be read for free with a Kindle Unlimited monthly subscription — see www.amazon.com/author/phylliszimblermiller — and her Kindle nonfiction ebooks may also be read for free with a Kindle Unlimited monthly subscription — see www.amazon.com/author/phylliszmiller