Through new partnerships and a recently overhauled badge system, Girl Scouts of the USA is providing more opportunities than ever for participants’ exposure to STEM fields. Given that far fewer girls than boys typically chose STEM-related occupations, the opportunities newly offered by the Girl Scouts could prove valuable.
See on money.cnn.com

Watch “Hard” Sciences: A “Boy Thing?” on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

Interestingly, data on patent filings reveals that women are responsible for a mere 7 percent. What’s behind the huge gender disparity? “Men are more likely to be in jobs involving design work or development work… so the ‘D’ in the R&D,” says Rutgers economist Jenny Hunt. “And even within given fields of study, women are less likely to be in those jobs and that also reduces their patenting.” A big part of the difference could lie with each gender’s affinity for risk-taking, with research pointing to men as more comfortable with risk. Same-sex schools can have an interesting effect on nurturing innovation and freeing women to take more risks academically and professionally.
via Marketplace Freakonomics Radio

With women making up only 24 percent of the STEM workforce, there’s a need to examine hiring practices.  A 50-page study by the Anita Borg Institute does just that, offering advice on hiring women to high-paying jobs in STEM.  The report includes practical tips like concealing job candidates’ names during the screening phase, and including at least one female candidate among those considered for technical positions.  It looks at the practices of companies like IBM, which ranks high on friendliness to women.  “Everyone for years has been talking about, ‘How do we get more women in technology jobs?’ [This] report gives answers,” says Jarri Barrett, vice president of marketing for the Anita Borg Institute.  “We’re sharing with the world how to recruit more women.”
Via www.womensenews.org

Regardless of whether it comes in like a lion or a lamb, March will usher in National Women’s History Month.  Astro4Girls, a project collaboration NASA and the American Library Association will leverage the theme into the STEM sphere.  Focusing on middle-school-age girls, Astro4Girls will include activities like astrophotography, telescope-building, creating active galaxies, and learning about female astronomers.  The project will take place at nine public libraries around the country, with the hope of expansion into more libraries in future years.
Via lj.libraryjournal.com

Funded by the Motorola Solutions Foundation and the National Science Foundation, FabFems is a “national database of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professions who are inspiring role models for young women.” It aims to connect students with a network of female STEM professionals, with the goal of increasing career awareness and interest in STEM fields. As the FabFems Project website says, “When girls have approachable role models (women in STEM who see their work as rewarding, relevant, and enjoyable), their impression of what it means to be a STEM professional can change dramatically and they are more likely to pursue STEM courses and careers.” Check it out at www.fabfems.org

A new study from the Girl Scout Research Institute indicates that while girls enjoy STEM subjects, they don’t necessarily consider related fields when they plan their careers.  The study, “Generation STEM: What Girls Say about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math,” shows that the vast majority of girls consider themselves “smart enough to have a career in STEM.”  However, their career ambitions in STEM fields seems to be hampered by their lack of information about available opportunities, with 60 percent of girls who are interested in STEM indicating that they don’t know as much about STEM careers as they know about other fields.  “While we know that the majority of girls prefer a hands-on approach in STEM fields, we also know that girls are motivated to make the world a better place and to help people,” says Kamla Modi, PhD, research and outreach analyst, Girl Scout Research Institute. “Girls may not understand how STEM careers help people, or how their STEM interests can further their goals of helping people.”
Via blog.girlscouts.org