Recruitment and Retention of Females in the STEM ... - CiteSeerX

Session S3D

Recruitment and Retention of Females in the STEM Disciplines: The Annual Girl Scout Day Camp at Baylor University Cynthia C. Fry, Jessica Davis, Yasaman Shirazi-Fard Baylor University, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Abstract - What would the demographics of typical Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programs in the United States look like if the ratio of females going into those fields approached the ratio of females showing an aptitude and an affinity for STEM fields prior to puberty? The School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) at Baylor University, in conjunction with the student sections of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), has designed an annual Girl Scout Day Camp for Brownies (ages six, seven, and eight) and Junior (ages nine, ten, and eleven) Girl Scouts. This paper will review the current research on the retention of females, especially in the elementary ages, in the STEM areas; document the design and development of the annual Girl Scout Day Camp, including the multi-year rotation of badges and activities offered; as well as the feedback from the local and area Girl Scout Councils, Troop Leaders, and parents. In future years we hope to be able to determine whether involvement in this type of activity has any significant effect on the recruitment of females as they approach high school and college, or the retention of current ECS females. Index Terms - community service activities, female recruiting in STEM fields, female retention in STEM fields, Girl Scouts. INTRODUCTION

granted in STEM fields to females over the last 40 years has doubled. [3] Despite all of these trends, the research into the stereotyped beliefs about gender differences in math and science-related fields still indicates that girls have lower levels of confidence than boys, even when they have equivalent test scores, and are more likely to attribute failure to lack of ability. [4-5] According to the Executive Director and CEO of the Society of Women Engineers, the secret to increasing women in technology fields is “not to ‘fix’ the girls but to make the technology classroom and profession more appealing to and welcoming of girls’.” [6] Project Lead the Way, whose mission is to create dynamic partnerships with schools to prepare students to be successful in engineering and engineering technology programs, has assumed an important role in increasing awareness of engineering and science-related fields in the K-12 educational field, but also indicates that one of the most influential factors in spurring the interest of girls in science and engineering is finding female role models in these fields. [7] DEVELOPMENT OF THE GIRL SCOUT DAY CAMP Because so much of the recent research shows how important it is for girls to be in an environment where they feel welcome and can be successful, the Baylor University student section of the Society of Women Engineers, in conjunction with the Girl Scout Council of Central Texas, developed a Girl Scout Day Camp. The goal of the camp was to develop a series of activities, led by STEM undergraduates at Baylor University that would allow the Girl Scouts to earn math and science-related merit badges using the facilities in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS).

It is no surprise that the United States faces a “quiet crisis,” in Thomas Friedman’s words, in the erosion of the scientific and engineering base in the United States, when it is this base which has historically been the source of innovation in our culture [1]. There have been numerous studies and I. Day Camp 2005 analyses conducted that have investigated the possible factors involved of this crisis, but one factor that continues Initially, the idea for conducting the Day Camp at Baylor to come to the forefront is the lack of female representation came from a local Brownie troop leader, and wife of an ECS in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics faculty member. After several planning meetings with the (STEM) fields. The opportunities for women in engineering officers of the Baylor student section of SWE, it was decided and technology fields are seemingly abundant, where, that five Brownie “Try-Its” (badges for Brownie Girl according to the U.S. Department of Labor, the jobs for Scouts) would be offered to the Brownies involved. Two engineers and technologists will grow at eleven percent over Brownie troops (fourteen girls total) participated in the the 2006-2016 decade. [2] An ongoing study by the STEM following Try-Its: Workforce Data Project indicates that the number of degrees 978-1-4244-1970-8/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE October 22 – 25, 2008, Saratoga Springs, NY 38th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference S3D-1

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Science in Action – activities to help Brownies understand more about science in their lives; led by two SWE officers (a bioinformatics [BINF] major and a computer science [CSI] major), held in one of the lecture halls of the Rogers ECS building. Movers – activities designed to help Brownies explore and understand the power of wind; led by two SWE officers (both mechanical engineering [ME] majors), held in the Wind Tunnel lab. Math Fun – activities designed to help Brownies understand that math is used every day, in a multitude of ways that they already know and experience; led by two SWE members (and electrical and computer engineering [ECE] graduate student and the faculty advisor), held in a small hands-on lab. Point, Click and Go! – activities designed to help Brownies understand that learning how to use a computer is fun; led by one CSI major, held in one of the general purpose computer labs. Computer Smarts – activities designed to help Brownies understand that computers can open doors to new places, new ideas, and a multitude of information; led by one CSI major, held in one of the upper-level computer labs.

In accordance with policies for earning a Try-it [8], the Brownies had to complete at least four of the activities listed for each Try-It. All Try-Its were offered on one Saturday afternoon, culminating in a short awards ceremony. The number of girls was small enough to allow the Brownies to pick and choose the Try-Its they were interested in, earn up to four Try-Its, and explore each Try-It in one of the laboratories or lecture facilities available in the School of ECS. [Details for each of the Try-it activities can be found at : http://server.ellenbecker.net:4271/Try%20Its.htm, as well as the Try-it handbook [8].] II. Day Camp 2006 The November 2006 Girl Scout Day Camp expanded its offerings to include nine Try-Its (most different than the previous day camp so the girls could attend both), and scaled the number of activities and volunteers to accommodate forty girls from six different troops. The Brownies were separated into small groups, combining existing troops where possible, and rotated through the following Try-Its: •

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Numbers and Shapes – activities to help Brownies understand the relationships between numbers and shapes; led by two SWE Members (one ME major and one ECE major), held in one of the small lecture rooms. Me and My Shadow – activities to help Brownies understand the relationships between light and shadow, and how these affect visual perspective; led by two SWE Officers (both ME majors) in an upper-level lab. Building a Computer – a Baylor-developed activity designed to help girls understand the inner workings of

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a computer, both hardware and software, by building one and then making changes in the operating system to verify that the system was built correctly; led by two SWE Officers (one ME major, one CSI graduate student), held in the simulated environments lab. People are Talking – activities to help Brownies understand communication differences between words, tone of voice, body language; led by two SWE Officers (both ECE majors), in the student lounge. Science in Action – activities to help Brownies understand more about science in their lives; led by two SWE Members (both CSI majors), held in one of the general lecture rooms. Plants – activities to help Brownies understand the many uses of plants; led by two SWE Members (both General Engineering [EGR] majors), held in and around the Rogers building. Playing Around the World – activities to help Brownies understand the different games that are popular around the world, and to help them realize that girls everywhere like playing games; led by two SWE Members (one EGR major and one ME major), help in the computer science student lounge. Science Wonders – activities to help Brownies understand how wonderful the many different aspects of science can be; led by two SWE Officers (both CSI majors), in the materials lab. Senses – activities to help Brownies understand how their different senses affect the way they see the world around them; led by two SWE Members (both Biomedical Engineering [BME] majors), in one of the lecture rooms.

The rotation schedule is shown in Figure I, where each color represents a different small group of girls. At the end of all Try-It activities the Brownies and the SWE volunteers enjoyed a pizza party together while a slideshow of the day’s activities was shown. The Brownies were awarded Certificates of Achievement and a special Baylor Engineering & Computer Science badge commemorating the “Build a Computer” activity before the day was concluded. Feedback from Parents/Troop Leaders: • Keep activities short to help with attention spans • Good security in the Rogers building – very nice, very clean • Add more girls in the future • Add Junior events in the future • Very efficient schedule • The T-shirt is a nice way to remember the day • Outstanding Baylor students leading the activities • Explain the underlying math and science more explicitly • Bags to carry all activity items

978-1-4244-1970-8/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE October 22 – 25, 2008, Saratoga Springs, NY 38th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference S3D-2

Session S3D Group 1

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Rogers 207 Numbers and Shapes

2nd Floor Hall Me and My Shadow

Rogers 212 Building a Computer

Rogers 207 People Are Talking

Rogers 210 Science in Action

Rogers 210

CS Lobby (220) Playing Around the World

Rogers 106 Science Wonders

Rogers 106

Plants

Senses

2:00-2:20 2:20-2:40 2:40-3:00 3:00-3:20 3:20-3:40 3:40-4:00 4:00-4:20 4:20-4:40 4:40-5:00 5:00-5:05

Wrap-Up - Return to Rogers 106

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PIZZA PARTY in Rogers 106!!!

FIGURE 1 ACTIVITY SCHEDULE FOR 2006 BAYLOR GIRL SCOUT DAY CAMP

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Schedule camp earlier in the day (most of the parents and troop leaders had other activities in the morning, so this change was not made for 2007) Love the pizza party Restroom break between activities Have a first aid station in case of emergencies

The 2006 Day Camp was a vast improvement over the first day camp, both in terms of the number of ECS females interested in helping and in the number of Brownies wanting to participate. Once registration was opened in early October available spaces were filled within two days. We started a waiting list to accommodate last-minute openings and were able to accept some additional girls. Most of the feedback items will be incorporated as “lessons learned” in future events.

With this minimal scaling back of the Brownie activities, we were able to add room for 22 Junior Girl Scouts and three Junior Badge activities plus the Build a Computer activity patch. The Junior Badges, because of the relationship between several of the activities, were broken up in to three twenty-five minute stations, followed by two twenty-minute stations. The Juniors rotated through the following Junior badge activities: •

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III. Day Camp 2007 Based on the feedback from the previous two day camps, and the lessons learned from these experiences, the 2007 Baylor Girl Scout Day Camp was modified in several ways. We scaled back the number of Brownie Try-Its offered from nine to six. This gave us room to open up some Junior Girl Scout Badge activities. It also gave us the ability to plan for a multi-year rotation on the Brownie Try-Its. In this way a Brownie could attend the day camp for all three of her Brownie years with minimal duplication of Try-Its. The Brownies rotated through the following Try-Its: • Science in Action • Movers • Math Fun • Point, Click and Go! • Computer Smarts • Build a Computer

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Math Whiz – activities designed to help Junior Girl Scouts understand that math is used everywhere in all parts of life; led by two SWE Members (one ME major and one ECE major), held in one of the engineering electronics labs. Discovering Technology – activities designed to help Junior Girl Scouts understand what a computer does, how it works, and how ubiquitous technology has become in their lives; led by two SWE Members (one EGR major and one ECE major), held in an upper-level computer lab. Making it Matter – activities designed to help Junior Girl Scouts understand how engineers take scientific knowledge and make useful things from it; led by two SWE Members (one ME major and one BME major), held in the materials and electronics lab. Build a Computer – activities designed to help Junior Girl Scouts understand the inner workings of a computer, both hardware and software, by building one and then making changes in the operating system to verify that the system was built correctly; led by two SWE Members (one ECE major and one ME major), held in the simulated environments lab.

In accordance with the Junior Girl Scout Badge Book, to earn each badge the girls were required to complete six


Session S3D activities. [9] [Details for each of the Junior badge requirements can be found at : http://server.ellenbecker.net:4271/Junior%20Badges.htm, as well as the Junior Girl Scout Badge handbook [9]] Other modifications made included the addition of the female ECS members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). In part this was to involve more of the female ECS population, but it was also necessary with the expansion of the program. We also added five male ECS student volunteers who helped with registration, general runners, photography/videography, safety, security, and first aid (and pizza pickup, and lastminute supply purchases, etc.). The schedule for each activity was increased from 20 to 25 minutes, and a 5-minute break between activities was added. To help streamline registration, we had registration packets ready by troop. The packets included a photo release form, t-shirts, and a booklet to track the activities completed in each Brownie Try-It or Junior Badge. For future events, inasmuch as the registration process will allow, we hope to get many of the forms, shirts, and booklets to the girls prior to the Day Camp to save camp while at Baylor. Feedback from Parents/Troop Leaders: • • • • • • •

Great flow to the schedule More variety in engineering and science activities – too much computer-oriented activities Great that the girls had the chance to use the computers and lab equipment Take “attendance” for each new incoming group to make sure no one is left behind (no one has been lost, but this is a good suggestion nevertheless) Snacks in each activity helped girls stay focused and not get hungry as the day progressed Streamline registration process Colors are an excellent way to follow the schedules

The 2007 Day Camp was the culmination of two years of planning, trying, changing, and brainstorming. Many new ideas were incorporated to broaden the scope of the day camp, and many of the great ideas gained from feedback were incorporated. Once registration was opened in early October available spaces were again filled within two days. In the near-term, we will work on the variety of junior activities as well as further improvements to the registration process and the efficiency of the Brownie Try-It and Junior Girl Scout badges. Again, the closing pizza party, picture/video show, and awards ceremony were the highlight of the day.

activities gave the young women an opportunity to “give back” to the community in a way many of them wish they had experienced. It was also a great reminder of the reasons they first went into engineering or computer science, and a motivator to persist through graduation. The collaboration between the students sections of SWE and ASME helped to further build community among current ECS students while learning to maximize the gifts and talents of each of the organizations. As a result of prior experience in the Day Camp, it became one of the ASME student section’s main activities for 2007. The student volunteers and activity leaders had a chance to work together, interacting closely in an environment outside the classroom. It was a great break from their normal routine. The ECS students involved in the design, planning, and implementation of the Day Camps noted several highlights in their responses to the volunteer evaluation of the program: • • • •

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The types of activities offered during the Day Camp are great tools to encourage females to get more involved in STEM fields at a young age. The Day Camp helped girls see that math and science can be fun, as over 95% of the girls participating indicated on the student evaluation. The Day Camp gave the ECS student volunteers a chance to represent their disciplines to the girls. The Day Camp gave the primary SWE/ASME leaders a chance to plan and organize an event of considerable scale – including the recruiting of volunteers, coordinating volunteer schedules, advertising and marketing, planning and logistics, leading interest meetings, and coordinating other volunteer activities. The Day Camp gave the primary SWE/ASME leaders an opportunity to realize the importance of appreciating the other volunteers’ efforts, as well as being available to help out when the unforeseen occurs. It is during the early years when girls first started making decisions about their lives. They were happy to be part of that experience for the Brownies and Juniors. SUMMARY

In her article in the October 2006 edition of The Technology Teacher, Betty Shanahan says, “Finding role models – both in materials and in person – that fit a girl’s image of a successful woman helps break down these barriers.” [10] The Girl Scout Day Camp is an ideal activity where Girl Scouts can be made to feel welcome, can be successful at accomplishing tasks they consider to be “hard,” and where they are led by female STEM undergraduates – they see “people like me”. Shanahan agrees, “The secret to recruiting girls into technology and ensuring their success is to create IMPACT OF THE DAY CAMP ON UNDERGRADUATE ECS an environment in which they feel welcome and can be FEMALES successful.” [11] The Brownies and Juniors had an opportunity to see and As an incredible bonus to the early recruiting effort for females in STEM fields, the Baylor Girl Scout Day Camp do things that they might not have believed they were was an incredible retention tool for current ECS females. capable of doing. The little girls and the ECS students The planning, design, and implementation of the day and its together realized that math and engineering can be 978-1-4244-1970-8/08/$25.00 ©2008 IEEE October 22 – 25, 2008, Saratoga Springs, NY 38th ASEE/IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference S3D-4

Session S3D Science Education, Stevens Institute of Technology, http://www.nae.edu/nae/caseecomnew.nsf/0754c87f163f599e85256cc a00588f49/862570b6006873128625738d0066392a/$FILE/Revised%2 08-7%20NAPE%20PLTW%20GuidanceCounselorTrainingFinal.pdf, slide 27.

tremendously fun and fulfilling, and that even through the tough challenges they are worthwhile. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The authors are tremendously indebted to the Central Texas Girl Scout Council, and to the troop leaders who have helped in so many ways to make this a fun and fulfilling experience for all the girls. We especially appreciate the efforts of Mrs. Sherry Hansen in her assistance during the planning and registration processes. REFERENCES [1]

Friedman, T.L., The World is Flat,, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 2005, pp. 252-253.

[2]

“Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition,” U.S. Department of Lab, Bureau of Labor Statistics, www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm.

[8]

“Try-Its for Brownie Girl Scouts,” Girl Scouts of the United States of America, 2000, p. 5.

[9]

“Junior Girl Scout Badge Book,” Girl Scouts of the United States of America, 2001, p. vii.

[10] Shanahan, B., “The Secrets to Increasing Females in Technology,” The Technology Teacher, October 2006, p. 24. [11] Ibid.

AUTHOR INFORMATION Cynthia C. Fry, Senior Lecturer in Computer Science, Assistant Dean for the School of Engineering and Computer Science, SWE Faculty Advisor, Baylor University, [email protected].

[3]

“Four Decades of STEM Degrees, 1966-2004: ‘The Devil is in the Details’,” STEM Workforce Data Project, Report No. 6, p. 1, https://www.cpst.org/STEM/STEM6_Report.pdf

[4]

Guimond, S., and Roussell, L., “Bragging about one’s school grades: Gender stereotyping and students’ perception of their abilities in science, mathematics, and language,” Social Psychology of Education, 4, 2001, pp. 275-293.

Jessica Davis, Computer Science alum, 2007-2008 President of Baylor’s student section of SWE, Baylor University, [email protected]

[5]

Vermeer, H. J., Boekarts, M., and Seegers, G. “Motivational and Gender Differences: Sixth grade studetns’ mathematical problemsolving behavior,” Journal of Educations Psychology, , 92, 2000, pp. 308-315.

Yasaman Shirazi-Fard, Mechanical Engineering alum, 2007-2008 President of Baylor’s student section of ASME, Baylor University, [email protected]

[6]

Shanahan, B., “The Secrets to Increasing Females in Technology,” The Technology Teacher, October 2006, p. 22.

[7]

Metz, S. S. “What is Engineering and Why Encourage Students to Consider this Field?” Center for Innovation in Engineering and
