Digital Youth Divas
Digital Youth Divas
As technological and mobile devices continue to become pervasive in our lives, young women, overwhelmingly, have opted to pursue non-STEM areas of study, leaving a growing number of STEM career opportunities on the table. Prior research suggests that middle school is the ideal time to engage girls in STEM exploration. In this research project, we expose middle school girls to “non-traditional” learning pathways where they learn a variety of technical skills through the completion of digital challenges in design, programming, and circuitry. Our objective is to use narratives, community, and a unique introductory curriculum to allow girls to explore STEM subjects in hopes of fostering long-term interest in STEM fields, strengthening students’ self-efficacy regarding their ability, and challenging traditional stereotypes regarding who should be in STEM. This research project is sponsored by NSF.