BrainCake : Why Braincake?

Headline: Why Braincake

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These facts and supporting research provide a rationale for the Girls, Math & Science Partnership, a program of Carnegie Science Center, to do continuing work directed at eliminating career barriers for these under-represented members of our population.

Research suggests that we continue to confront a cultural problem, namely, that girls, boys, parents, teachers, and the general public assume that math, science, technology and engineering are intellectually out of reach and inappropriate for girls and women.

Benbow, C.P., & Stanley, J.C. "Sex Differences in Mathematical Ability: Fact or Fiction?" Science, 210, 1262-1264, 1980; Eccles, J.S., & Jacobs, J.E. "Social Forces Shape Math Attitudes and Performance," Signs, 11, 367-389, 1986.

Media images of female scientists and engineers are rare.

Report of the Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development, 2000.

Negative stereotyping continues to contribute to the exclusion of females from pursuing these areas as topics of study in school and from serious consideration of future careers which require advanced related skills.

"Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the Computer Age," American Association of University Women, Washington, DC, 2000; Balancing the Equation: Where are the Women and Girls in Science, Engineering and Technology, National Council for Research on Women, NY, July, 17, 2001.

While girls consistently demonstrate an aptitude for both math and science, research has shown that girls' interest in math and science is often implicitly or explicitly discouraged. Gender gaps in interest, confidence and performance, particularly in the physical sciences, begin to emerge in the late elementary and middle school years; in high school and higher education, the under representation of young women in computing, physics and engineering is especially alarming. The percentage of girls who say they like science from 4th to 8th to 12th grade, goes from 66% to 47% to 48%.

"How Schools Shortchange Girls," American Association of University Women, Washington DC, 1992; "Tech-Savvy: Educating Girls in the Computer Age," American Association of University Women, Washington, DC, 2000; Balancing the Equation: Where are the Women and Girls in Science, Engineering and Technology, National Council for Research on Women, NY, July, 17, 2001; Fisher, A. & Margolis, J. "Unlocking the Clubhouse: Women Studying Computer Science." Cambridge: MIT Press, Forthcoming Fall 2001. Educational Equity of Girls and Women, National Center for Education Statistics, 2000.

Gaps still persist both nationally and in this region in particular. In our region, for example, boys out perform girls on the SAT in math by about 30 points; girls are under enrolled in comparison to boys in AP Computer Science and Physics; 8th grade boys outperform girls in fractions and number sense; and in earth science, chemistry and physics, as well as science confidence.

Balancing the Equation: Where are the Women and Girls in Science, Engineering and Technology, National Council for Research on Women, NY, July, 17, 2001; "December, 2000 Biennial Report to the United States Government," Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), National Science Foundation, Washington, DC; "Who Will Do the Science? A Symposium on Careers of Women in Science," National Academy of Sciences, National Academy Press, Washington, DC.; Stubbs, ML, "Girls, Math and Science, and Regional Development," Girls, Math and Science, Pittsburgh, PA, April 2001; Third International Mathematics and Science 1999 Benchmarking Study, Boston College, April, 2001.

For individuals in 21st Century America, skills in math and science will be ever more important for self-sufficiency, as a technology-driven economy increasingly demands an educated and globally competitive workforce. The fastest growing economic clusters in our region include biotechnology (biomedicine), information technology, environmental technology and to some extent advanced manufacturing. All depend on a workforce skilled in math and science.

Working Together Consortium, "The Regional Revitalization Index for Southwestern Pennsylvania," Pittsburgh, PA, 1999.

Of the 10 fastest growing occupations, 8 are science, math or technology related.

Before It's Too Late: A report to the Nation from the National Commission on Mathematics and Science Teaching for the 21^st Century, 2000.

The labor force needed to support these industries is in short supply, both nationally, and in southwestern Pennsylvania. By 2010, national jobs in science and engineering are expected to increase by 2.2 million.

"Who Will Do the Science? A Symposium on Careers of Women in Science," National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC, April 1999; "December, 2000 Biennial Report to the United States Government," Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering (CEOSE), National Science Foundation, Washington, DC; National Academy of Sciences, National Academy Press, Washington, DC; Stubbs, ML, "Girls, Math and Science, and Regional Development," Girls, Math and Science, Pittsburgh, PA, April 2001. "Tech jobs go begging for lack of workers," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 27, 2001. "Technology Scholarships go begging in PA," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 4, 2001. "Science and Engineering Indicators," National Science Foundation, 2004.

Southwestern Pennsylvania
A 2003 study of career barriers for women and minorities commissioned by The Heinz Endowments and conducted by the Center for Economic Outreach at Carnegie Mellon University found data documenting the status of involvement by women in regional Southwestern Pennsylvania as follows:

Only 10% women receiving a degree or certificate choose their degree in a science and technology field compared to roughly 25% of men.
Women were granted just 28% of the Science and Technology degrees and certificates awarded by institutions in southwestern PA compared to 33% nationally.
Only 9% of the women in SWPA pursue degrees and certificates in science and technology fields, compared to 26 % of the men.

This lack of representation within science and math careers occurs despite the fact that women comprise nearly 50% of the national workforce but:

less than 20% of those are in science/engineering
African-American women were nearly 10% of the national workforce, but only 3% in science/engineering
Hispanic women were nearly 10% of the national workforce, but only 3% in?science/engineering

CED analysis of statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics. 2000-2001 Academic Year; Bureau of Labor of Statistics Current Population Survey, National Science Foundation/Division of Science Resources Studies, 1997 SESTAT, Scientist and engineer data excludes social scientists