Encouraging girls in tech is worthy goal

We encourage efforts such as Girls Who Code to advocate on behalf of better STEM education for girls.

For years now there’s been a strong emphasis in schools, youth organizations and beyond to encourage study of the so-called STEM fields — science, technology, engineering and math. But there are signs that the effort is facing some headwinds, especially among girls.

A recent survey by Junior Achievement showed only 9% of girls between the ages of 13 and 17 are interested in STEM careers, down from 11% in a similar survey taken in 2018. That compares to teen boys, whose interest in STEM careers increased slightly to 27%, from 24% in 2018, according to the survey of 1,004 teens conducted in April.

It’s hard to identify the exact cause for the problem, but it appears much of it has to do with perception and stereotypes that have proved very difficult to shake. A 2012 study by Girl Scouts of the USA found there is a common belief that girls are not high achievers in math and science. However, a study by the American Association of University Women found high school girls and boys perform equally in the subjects.

Regardless of the reason, when there are more boys than girls in STEM classes, it only adds to the perception that girls don’t belong.

The key, according to the Girl Scouts study, is giving girls greater exposure to role models — young women who are pursuing education in STEM subjects and especially those who have gone on to work in related fields.

Addressing that issue is the focus of Girls Who Code, a nationwide movement for girls ages 10 to 18. It’s intended to help close the gender gap in technology and change the image of what a programmer looks like. The group offers clubs, summer learning programs and student-led college campus groups. Club alumni nationwide have been found to major in computer science at 15 times the average rate.

Meralis Castillo-Benitez, a sophomore at Penn State Berks, is a strong advocate for Girls Who Code and its message. When she was a ninth-grader at Reading High School, she was surprised to find herself the only girl in her computer programming class. Her instructor said it was typical for there to be no girls at all taking the course.

She was determined to change that situation. As a senior at Reading High she cofounded the school’s chapter of Girls Who Code and served as its president. Having found her passion in programming, she wanted to encourage other young women to find theirs, and to be secure in the knowledge that they aren’t the only girls who feel that way. Today she’s majoring in information science technology with the goal of establishing a career in health care technology.

It’s crucial to make more female students aware of such individuals and put an end to the stubborn notion that certain fields and careers are “not for girls.”

Melissa Dow, an instructional technology specialist in the Exeter School District, says fewer than one in five computer science graduates are women. Surely we can do better than that.

Addressing this issue isn’t just about social concerns. It is widely believed that STEM education and interest in related fields will be crucial to future employment prospects.

And it’s in the public interest to have as many strong minds as possible emerging in fields involving math and science. Our nation’s future prosperity depends in large part on continued innovation and invention. We can’t afford to have some of our brightest individuals on the sidelines because they’ve somehow been convinced they don’t belong.

We encourage continued efforts by educators and organizations such as Girls Who Code to advocate on behalf of better STEM education for girls. School administrators should be listening carefully and working to ensure such classes offer an environment where people of all genders are comfortable.

Improvements also are needed in the workplace. Girls Who Code recently released a report detailing widespread sexism, discrimination and harassment in tech hiring practices. About half of the collegeaged women it surveyed reported having had or knowing a woman who had a negative experience applying for a technology job.

“Tech jobs are among the fastest growing in the country,” Dow said, “yet girls are being left behind.”

Let’s keep working to reverse that trend.