Research says: Feminine STEM role models do not motivate girls

[JaneYoung]

I've been following this thread and I think Katie is bringing up an excellent discussion regarding impact. Women who have the credentials and the skill sets who are making an impact as role models. The key word is impact and I think that is a valuable topic to discuss, especially regarding Chief Delphi members and members of FIRST who can and do serve as role models. The reason that I think this is valuable here in CD and in FIRST is because we have role models impacting young people in influential and powerful ways - every day. Ways that the role models may not ever be aware of.

In Chief Delphi, it would be great to see more women submitting white papers and designs for others to view, ask questions about, use as resource material. In FIRST, it would be great to see more women working together to knock our socks off at a Championship conference presentation. At a Regional or District level, it would be great to see more women working together, creating innovative opportunities for teams to talk and network with them. There are all sorts of opportunities for women to promote STEM initiatives, engineering experiences, and career choices. There are opportunities to network with and participate in other programs and share that information.

Each person that serves as a mentor is making an impact, for better or for worse. That's the reality. When the mentors figure out how to maximize that opportunity and act on it - that's when it really starts to get interesting and that's when change occurs. I think this discussion is actually about change. Cultural change and strengthening the process that creates the change.

Thanks for creating this thread, Katie. It's a good one.

Jane