How to get girls to like STEM: Heidi Olinger at TEDxBocaRaton

The U.S. needs the contributions of all of our thinkers and problem-solvers. By the numbers girls make up more than one-half of our home-grown talent base - the half we have discouraged in STEM/science, technology, engineering and math. In this inspiring talk, education expert Heidi Olinger outlines the four things we must do to engage girls in STEM right now in the Digital Age, when neither girls nor the nation can afford to be STEM illiterate.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

[@DoctorJoeMD]

Great talk, Heidi! My wife and I homeschooled our two daughters and one is now an electrical engineer. She has faced and continues to face an uphill battle against the "Barbie idea" that math is hard and women can't cut the mustard. Your point that fellow women are sometimes our worst enemies is personified that you received negative encouragement from a female instructor, only to be overruled by a male guidance counselor. My wife who is a retired ICU nurse faced the same situation when she was growing up. Thanks again for the talk.

[@cindyreinhardt4572]

Bravo Heidi! This is such important work and I'm grateful for you as an influence on young women.

[@cindymoss3139]

Awesome! I spend my time traveling the world speaking with companies, nonprofits, ministries of education and school districts about what teachers and students need to do STEM. We MUST figure out how to engage girls if we are going to solve the myriad of complex problems facing our world!

[@julianavallestero1260]

Cindy Moss yt

[@StemGirlz]

Heidi Olinger you are a hero in STEM. When we're a little older we'd love to do your STEM fashion kits, but until then we're having fun making tutorials for Littlebits, Scratch and home made snow :)

[@LeePorterInnovatioNews]

Excellent! Thanks for sharing this critical information.

[@PrettyBrainyInc]

You are welcome, Lee!

[@MarciaArleneDebra]

Despite all the strides made in women's progress we are still pigeon holed into things deemed to be women's things. Another thing people are not acknowledging is that math is badly taught, and it is only the people with the natural inclination will be successful in pursuing STEM careers.

[@williamchamberlain2263]

Point 1 is project-based teaching, but with project themes actually based on what the students are interested in. Equiv for boys could be physics and biology of sport - aerodynamics of curving a ball, biomechanics of throwing, neurology of perception and planning and misdirection, etc - or mechanical engineering and programming of cars and trucks.

[@MediaNSTEM]

We at NSTEM think it is vital for more girls and women to study STEM fields. Your two statistics- "44% of girls surveyed feel that 'The smartest girls in my school are not popular' and 17% of girls surveyed feel that "Teachers think it is not important for girls to be good at math' " are alarming and we definitely need to address this in the future. Thank you for this interesting video.

[@MikeMetcalfe0]

I disagree. Why do we need to make science 'pink and sparkly' to get more girls and women interested in STEM subjects? Appeal to all, yes - but let's not all do the science of make-up.

[@Pretty.Brainy]

+Mike Metcalfe Nowhere does this talk mention anything like what your comments reflect. Thank you for underscoring the need for us to prepare girls and young women to be resilient in the face of such inherent gender biases and stereotypes.

[@mpk0422]

Pretty Brainy - Nonprofit STEAM Learning no, she did. But I think it's necessary to do (at least at this time)... Because of the misogyny rooted in our society, a lot of girls don't think they can DO stem jobs, let alone start learning, so by teaching it in "their language", we're showing them that they can relate to it and realize that it can have meaning and importance in their life. :-)!!

[@E-2.71]

Mike, Don't be an "A", Many women are more analytical than a lot of males, so Sexist, you are!!!

[@hannibalkekter3682]

Is there any proof of this? There are more women in the workforce than ever before. Women graduate at much higher rates from lower and higher education than men. Where is the issue?

[@missnia6753]

there could be say three hundred thousand more women in the workforce than there were five years ago ,then you take into consideration the total population of women which could be like five million then you realize its really all about proportions and percentages

[@hannibalkekter3682]

Lets just say that's true, which it is not, why is equality of outcome the issue? If women are choosing different carriers it is their choice. Do you care that women are not in construction jobs? Sanitation?

[@sophieruby5893]

​@@hannibalkekter3682 Women have plenty of menial labor jobs to choose from. The point is that culture tells girls that STEM is for boys, and that has to stop.

[@sirhumphreyappleby8399]

How to get PEOPLE to like stem

[@tylert7588]

why does society need to push women to stem fields? they are not prohibited.

[@pnm3225]

it is not about pushing or being prohibited. It is about breaking the small actions and beliefs that convince women not to strive in life. It is very psychological, sometimes we don't realize them, very small things make a huge difference in the future(example. a mother to her daughter: don't do that you gonna hurt, you are delicate girl, let your brother or dad do it) tiny things like this one create a whole unconscious psychological deep in the brains.

[@hannibalkekter3682]

Do you actually have proof of any of this?

[@missnia6753]

oh we sure are,especially if you ask a girl from Africa...the problem is we conform to dogmatic societal norms without questioning their fundamentals and existence,find out why the push and everything behind it stats and all and i'm really sure you'll never repeat your previous statement again

[@hannibalkekter3682]

In your country maybe, not in America. She is not arguing for that. She is arguing for equality of outcome.

[@missnia6753]

the question to ask is why is there inequality of outcome?so challenging these norms will bring attention to the fact that really there should be equality of outcome

[@stevegcq]

If stereotypes are negated by education and affirmative action, and if people have more choice due to massive socialist policies and support, *larger differences* result. For evidence watch the video, *The Gender Equality Paradox - Documentary NRK - 2011*

[@JonnyInfinite]

Women already like my stem...

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Two huge problems. Women predominantly define their lives by their relationships, not their careers. Even those who want careers, nearly all of them also want to marry and have children, and despite what many want to believe, you can't always 'have it all'. A few can. But not nearly enough. There simply aren't enough hours in a day to 'do it all', well, unless you make enough money to hire domestic help, and most who do go into STEM careers are not going to be that wealthy. If you think that men will gladly sacrifice their own careers to let their wives further theirs instead, you're going to have to change which type of guys that girls are attracted to, because alpha males aren't going to do that, and successful girls aren't interested in beta males. Further, girls want to be attractive to alpha boys. These boys are not turned on by smart brainy girls. They're more often turned on by physically, sexually attractive girls, and this is not a choice, we don't get to choose what turns us on, or off. So a significant number of girls (both smart and average) choose to focus on what will get them a 'better' boyfriend, and usually, that focus will not include STEM.

[@OriginallyToowie]

+D.E.B. B You are part of the problem.

[@d.e.b.b5788]

Cambria Just the facts, ma'ma, just the facts. We can fight reality, but we aren't going to win.

[@bekkahstyles7569]

I do agree about the family part, it is VERY difficult to balance both- if you're all alone. But most women assume that the men will at least be of help, especially if the man has a more flexible work schedule. Sometimes other relatives will help as well. Women who have large careers always find a way as long as they think creatively, you'd be surprised. Now, as for the attraction, not all smart women are ugly and I hope you know that. You can be smart and sexy. It's a real thing. If a guy rejects you because you are smarter than him then he was probably not a good guy to be with anyways. And not all girls are even attracted to men soooo

[@missnia6753]

and have you ever asked yourself how that idea got into their heads?

[@saul3965]

@@missnia6753 what? Having kids? Wanting an Alpha? Normal human behavior. The brain has its survival instinct and still happens to this date. Limbic system btw

[@SpartaxSolutionLTD]

Iv subbed you

[@jjohnson1951]

this is disgusting on many levels. the main idea is good but she handles it horribly