GSE/DIS Reaching Parents of Elementary and Middle School Girls

Imaginary Lines Inc. (Dba Sally Ride Science), San Diego CA

Investigators

Abstract

Imaginary Lines will develop and distribute readable, high quality booklets to parents of girls in grades K-3 and 4-7, on gender-based factors that diminish girls' interest in science and engineering. A version will be adapted for Hispanic parents and published in Spanish. The team will also deliver informative and practical workshops for parents in both English and Spanish, and develop an online discussion forum for parents to enable them to ask questions of experts and exchange ideas and experiences with other parents. Imaginary Lines, founded by Sally Ride, runs events nationally for students and parents to promote interest in science and engineering. The events will be used to field-test and distribute the brochure. The grant will leverage the visibility Sally Ride brings to local events to generate media stories (newspaper, radio, TV) that raise public awareness of girls/women in STEM. Girls growing up today navigate an environment that often influences (sometimes quite subtly) their perceptions of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and their sense of belonging in these endeavors. Parents, teachers, and peers can influence them and shape their attitudes, often subtly discouraging them from STEM activities. Research shows that 4th - 8th grade is a critical period when girls begin to drift away from science and math in greater numbers than boys. This is often a result of societal influences that begin even earlier. In particular, parents can have a significant effect on their daughters' attitudes toward STEM. To date, little emphasis has been placed on reaching parents on this topic specifically. Intellectual Merit. Research shows that parents can be a significant and early influence on girls' attitudes toward STEM activities and careers. There is substantial merit in informing parents of gender issues and offering them practical suggestions to support their daughters' interests, as this may help decrease the number of girls who drift away from STEM as a result of societal pressures and perceptions. The effort is unique in its focused effort to provide practical, research-based information to parents of elementary and middle-school girls. The highly qualified team is partnering with Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, a leading publisher of K-6 science materials, who will print, promote and distribute the booklets and organize workshops in several school districts, reaching large numbers of parents from diverse backgrounds. Other partners include COSI-Columbus, CWIT, and SDSC's Girls are GREAT. Broader Impacts. The proposed activity will advance parents' understanding of gender issues and research findings on children's interest in science and engineering and will provide practical ways for them to help and encourage daughters to maintain natural interests in STEM. Ultimately, it aims to broaden the participation of underrepresented groups in S&E, especially girls and Hispanics.