The Current: EPI's Newsletter Spring 2018 EPI Newsletter_for web

The Current
for the
N ext G eneration • S pring 2018
C onservation
STEM for GOOD
How engaging more girls in science will help save our planet
Above: Practical, hands-on learning on an EPI course - local Costa Rican students
conduct water quality tests in search of bioindicating insects
Yet, thirty years after my own high school experience, the
opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering,
math) fields are still not shared equally among boys and girls,
which limits the success of conservation efforts.
Cover Story by Julie Osborn,
EPI Co-founder & Advancement Director
IT’S MY FIRST DAY AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, 1984.
I’m in advanced algebra and trigonometry, a class for juniors.
My teacher hands out an article about girls, like me, who
excel in math and science but whose performance in those
subjects relative to boys declines in high school. He shared
that article not to bring us down but to bring our awareness
to implicit bias and the societal forces acting against our
ambitions. Mr. Johnson was ahead of cultural norms, and he
changed my life because of it.
I love challenges (like math and entrepreneurship), so being
made explicitly aware of the bias towards me and knowing
I had a strong advocate helped me persevere in the face of
gender bias throughout my academic journey.
Later, I continued that journey as a scientist, studying ecology
and global change. While I now spend my time addressing
these issues by advancing EPI’s mission through fundraising
and connecting with educators and conservationists, my
roots seek science for nourishment.
The obstacles young girls face are clear:
Exposure to implicit bias and stereotypes - This begins in
early childhood and increases as girls grow up.
Lack of female role models - Nearly half of all girls
interested in STEM don’t know a woman in a STEM
career.
A fixed mindset - Unlike boys, girls tend to see failure or
struggle as a sign of an innate lack of talent.
Lack of practical experience - 74% of teen girls are
interested in STEM, but 40% say they lack hands-on
experience.
EPI helps girls overcome each of these obstacles. When I
see EPI participants in the field, the majority are girls. And
like Mr. Johnson, we can be intentional about how we
engage girls and inspire the next generation in powerful and
meaningful ways.
We are challenging ourselves and inviting you to celebrate
and engage more girls in science in 2018 and beyond.
Join us: ecologyproject.org/stem4good
E C O L O G Y P R O J E C T I N T E R N AT I O N A L • W W W. E C O L O G Y P R O J E C T.O R G • 4 0 6 . 7 2 1 . 8 7 8 4