Women's Technology Program at MIT

[@jooodittt]

I really wish I had known about this when I was in high school. I will never regret my current field as a graphic designer, but I will always have my love for chemistry & a new interest in computer sciences. Women in STEM fields should be encouraged & acknowledged, and I'm glad I now know of WTP so I can encourage my nieces & friends' daughters of such an opportunity!

[@roidroid]

+Judith Kim Ben Heck has a channel here on youtube. I remember him telling a story about how he started as a graphic designer, with no idea about electronics stuff. He had to occasionally do some electronics stuff, and he became really obsessed with it and his career just kinda sidetracked. He's very passionate. i wish i knew the exact video where he told that story.

[@cilva7able]

What if they don't tell you they have any engineering experience just to get in?

[@Theballonist]

I'm happy this program exists. It would be great if you specified whether or not you are working to be trans inclusive.

[@roidroid]

+Theballonist the program is specifically designed to catch women who are avoiding these fields because of cultural gender stereotypes. But trans people would be the *least* likely to have that problem, as they are already very very aware of cultural gender stereotypes and have likely been compensating for such things their entire lives.

[@electriciandallastx9182]

Thanks for the concepts you have discussed here.

[@delphinelisabeth]

open to international students?

[@marinamom1]

This is definitely not sexism. During my high school and college years there was a definite bias in the way science projects were taught. Most teachers were male and most textbooks were authored by men. The program you see in the video is essential to educate and recruit women into STEM fields. They are underrepresented and often undercompensated. There are engineers and scientists in my family and neighborhood. As a young girl from a poor working class neighborhood, there were no role models for us. Boys and men had most fields open to them. This was not true for females. This video depicts a very progressive way to open the doors for more balanced diversity in these programs. In college, females sometimes faced discrimination and hostility from male science educators. I know this from personal experience. Thankfully, we live in a different time. When diverse groups collaborate as teams, better outcomes can result. We must think about things through perspectives other than our own individual lens. I applaud MIT for implementing this program as a doorway into rewarding, in -demand careers. Teamwork is essential in life.

[@lackedpuppet9022]

Jeanne Patterson Keyword, "faced". Now, universities are biased towards women. There are not a lot of male teachers in my school, and because of that lack of bond, all the males in my class are dare I say fucking retarded and unready for life. That's why so many men are uneducated, getting minimum wage, struggling through life, getting beat down at every opportunity to get up, and after all that, "They are still the oppressor." That's why men are growing up to be like Dillon Klebold and Eric Harris. They go down a criminal path and there is no one there to help them out of it, no one they feel they can relate to or talk to. Ever heard of flight 705? It was a FedEx flight that almost got hijacked. His motive? To provide for his children and wife who didn't love him by dieing so they could collect his life insurance money. This man had been beaten down by everyone he met, and there was no one willing to help him. I am a white male, and because of that, even though I have NEVER abused or emotionally devastated a woman, I am labeled a misogynist, sexist homophobic, oppressor. If this same program popped up, but for males, you would be outraged, as would many. On top of this, you say diversity is good, but it's not true diversity if your locking another group out based on stereotypes and misrepresentation alone.

[@SPaICTHub]

Well done... I love this initiative

[@felipechermont2709]

this is ameazing, I wish it Had educational programs like this in my country

[@cutie6838]

M.I.T!!!❤️😍❤️😍👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@CuongNguyen-xw2lh]

Men and women equally! What the boys do, daughter can do better

[@btdtpro]

I get why there is such a push to get more women in the STEM fields. Women are willing to work for 78% of what men make, imagine the money these billion dollar industries could save if we could get more women interested in these fields.

[@marinamom1]

Demeaning comment. The ongoing goal should be to raise women to equal compensation and benefits. How would the women in your community feel about this attitude. Everyone deserves a chance to reach for their goals. FYI Intel recently moved to ensure women's compensation equates to men. The move to pay transparency and making salary history not applicable to employment recruiting will benefit many people across both populations.

[@btdtpro]

Jeanne Patterson When you say "demeaning comment", are you saying my comment was demeaning? It probably was, but I should clarify that I'm demeaning billion dollar companies, not women. Large companies have paid children pennies on the dollar to work in sweat shops. why would they be willing to paying anyone more than they felt they could get away with paying them. If you feel I demean large corporations by implying the bottom line is their largest focus, then you're welcome to the opinion, but I think the evidence points otherwise. Car companies have let people get injured or die, just because the lawsuits would be more cost effective than a recall.

[@marinamom1]

I felt the comment demeaning through implication that lower pay promotes hiring incentive to hire women. I am very aware of the history of unfair labor practices to apply to many people throughout history. I think this commentary houle stay on target and not digress beyond the original discussion.

[@btdtpro]

Jeanne Patterson I think it's still on target. Though I'm not sure who gets to set the target of discussion on the topic, so I could be wrong. I think discussing an issue in a vacuum may limit our ability to find solutions in the real world environment. Lower pay is a hiring incentive to companies, especially if the workers are just as good for less money. People need to be taught both the skills and how to maximize the pay they get for the skills. Companies will donate money to fund programs that increase the number of works in a field, because that drives the cost of those works down, supply and demand, but they won't donate money for classes to teach those works how to get maximum dollar from them, why would they want to? So if we want to help a group of under paid people, we need to take this into consideration.

[@marinamom1]

Good Points. However, my main focus at present is inequality for women. The issue has been a difficult one to make progress on. If women do well, men and their families can have greater economic opportunity. My view is shaped from a family history of women having to survive when men died or abandoned their families due to war, poverty and addiction. Women live longer, make less and more live in poverty in old age. Women often reinvest their earnings back into their families. Men contribute to family life as well. I grew up in Massachusetts and am very familiar with Boston and MIT. A culture of including women into traditionally male fields requires a change in corporate culture and willingness to recognize and use strengths for all individuals on a team to better overall outcomes.