All too often, female students are underrepresented in STEM classes. As a result, girls and young women have a hard time exploring the subjects and picturing themselves in related roles. Some progress has been made–for example, the number of women earning science and engineering bachelor’s degrees increased by 34 percent between 2011 and 2020–yet there’s still much ground to be made up. Today, math scores are at pre-pandemic lows (thanks in part to years of remote learning) and elementary-aged children are falling behind grade-level standards, posing significant risks to children’s educational development. This situation widens disparities in education and drives a shortage of incoming STEM talent as these trends carry into university and ultimately career paths.
