Sofia Melani and Lucia Cicconi are driven to help girls claim their place in STEAM-related fields because they realize the importance behind that mission.
Data shows middle school is the age when interest in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) declines for girls at a much faster rate than for boys.
So encouraging girls to remain interested in STEAM as they grow older plays a crucial role in growing a future generation of female engineers or software developers.
According to a study on education website childdevelopment
.org, elementary-age girls start out strong, with 70% enjoying labs and math activities, which is a rate similar to that of boys.
In middle school, girls’ confidence begins to fade.
By graduation, only 35% of girls in U.S. high schools have taken precalculus or calculus compared with 55% of boys, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project.
Female secondary students’ STEAM club membership averages 28% — and less than 20% in rural or low-income districts.
This decline in participation is evident in the U.S. workforce, where women make up roughly half of the total yet are underrepresented in highly technical careers.
While woman make up more than 60% of workers in the social science fields, that percentage drops rapidly for other STEAM-related fields, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
For example, women make up less than half of those working in mathematics and life and physical sciences. The number drops even more for computer-related fields, where women account for only about a quarter of workers. In engineering, women make up less than 20% of workers, the Census Bureau found.
Overall, women comprise between 27% and 35% of the country’s STEAM workforce. Still that’s a far cry from 1970, according to the Census Bureau, when women made up only about 8% of that workforce.
Girls start program to spur interest
Sofia, a Fox Chapel Area junior, and Lucia, a Mary Queen of Apostles sixth grader, are hoping to stoke young girls’ passion for STEAM by offering activities that cleverly intertwine STEAM principles with sports-related activities.
Fourth grader Lilly Jozefczyk never imagined her interest in ice skating would turned into a passion for physics until taking part in the pair’s “STEAM in Motion: The Science of Skating” session last week at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena in New Kensington.
Lilly, a student at New Kensington-Arnold’s Roy Hunt Elementary, was among 20 elementary students to participate. She was surprised to learn lessons in force, momentum and Newton’s Law could propel her athletic skills.
“It’s crazy, all the movement and friction involved,” she said. “There’s so much science behind ice skating.”
Interactive programs such as the skating session can spur girls to seek STEAM-related majors in college, Sofia and Lucia believe.
“STEAM is a very important subject because it not only teaches the basics of a lot of careers, like being an engineer or actuary, but it also teaches principles used for everyday life,” said Lucia, 12.
“Our program is very interactive. Not only were there presentations and experiments about certain laws of physics, friction and force, but the girls got to actually experience the forces in action in the rink.”
Offering activities that can integrate learning and fun seemed like the perfect way to get girls excited to learn about STEAM principles.
“We wanted to connect with girls who have a love of science and math, and to get them doing something hands-on to build their confidence,” said Sofia, 16.
“We want them to have fun while learning the physics and stuff behind things they love, like skating and yoga. We want them to keep asking how things work.”
The program will continue in April with a Pilates lesson, “Mind, Muscle, & Motion — The Science of Strength & Serenity.”
Future sessions will be scheduled depending on funding.
The girls raised $15k to start program
Sofia, a competitive figure skater, said she and Lucia raised nearly $15,000 to support the initial sessions.
According to online platform Thinking in Educating, programs like these can help diminish a “leaky pipeline” for future female STEAM leaders. Making science accessible can rid stereotypes and highlight female representation.
“Through motion-based learning, we build the confidence, curiosity and critical-thinking skills necessary for the next generation of innovators,” Sofia said.
Nicole Roberts, director of program management at R&D Impact Foundation in New Kensington, said the science workshops are tremendously important.
“By middle school, many girls begin to question their place in STEM, not because of ability, but because their confidence erodes and they don’t feel as if they belong, while boys are more consistently nurtured to stay engaged,” Roberts said.
“In this community, having after-school programs is crucial. If we start developing their interest and help students see themselves as belonging in STEM at a young age, their passion and confidence become stronger by the time they get to middle school.”
The R&D Impact Foundation runs the SparX Academy, an after-school STEAM-based initiative. The Steam in Motion effort aligns with positively reinforcing girls’ interests and providing a high-quality opportunity that supports students.
“We have found that making connections with students while showing them they are capable and belong in STEM, is a winning formula,” Roberts said.
Fourth grade participants were won over by their weekend on ice.
“I had so much fun,” said Chrissy Lewis. “I learned a lot, and I wanna do it again.”
Kabrynna Wiley said she, too, would definitely participate again.
“We got to learn new tricks, and we got to meet new people and make new friends,” she said. “I don’t want the day to end.”