At fifteen I sat in a room filled with over 100 female classmates. Each of us earned As in our math and science courses. Women from various STEM fields shared their journeys and tribulations: They said when it came to STEM, they were often the only woman in the room. I sat there puzzled. Who cares? I loved math and science. I was good at math and science and who surrounded me was irrelevant.
As a teacher I am regularly bombarded with programs and opportunities to “inspire girls in STEM.” The premise of this approach is entirely flawed. Girls don’t need inspiration, it’s already there. Have you ever met a 5 year old? They ask 400 questions a day! Humans are innately curious and that curiosity breeds inspiration. Our job as adults is not to inspire, but to nurture. The problem is not a lack of interest. The problem is systems that exclude and minimize.
We exclude when we joke about how hard math is. We exclude when we decide who gets to take courses such as physics…and who doesn’t. We exclude when we interact exclusively with the loudest individuals rather than engaging the whole community.
Rather than inspiring girls in STEM we need to create positive collaborative networks for mentorship. Rather than inspiring girls in STEM we need to challenge the notion of who belongs and who “can’t”. Let’s exchange inspiration for cultivation and create better space for innovation.
