ZR08 Creating the STEM pipeline

Creating the S.T.E.M. Pipeline Erin B. Reilly Co-Founder of Zoey’s Room www.zoeysroom.com SLIDE 1 Iʼm Erin Reilly. Iʼm co-founder of Zoeyʼs Room, a safe online community for middle school girls that creatively engages girls in science, technology, engineering and math – otherwise known as STEM. Zoey is the host of her room and sheʼd like to share with you whatʼs inside her room.

Platform Shoes Forum’s Model Program Zoey’s Room ♣ Girls chat in a safe girl-friendly environment with Zoey and her peers. ♣ Meet online “Fab Females” - role models in STEM careers. ♣ Connect with rural and urban girls to learn about other cultures through “Gals Around the Globe.” ♣ Complete fun STEM-based Zoey’s Room’s Member Side of Website challenges called the Tec-Treks. ♣ Earn prizes and tech gadget. SLIDE 3 This video is more of a promotional video and lists the key elements that make up the program, such as: • Online community tools like our chat room and our message boards. • Fab Female role models • Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-based learning challenges that we call the Tec-Treks • And opportunities to earn real prizes like web cams, wireless mice and the SIMS game through a point system. SLIDE 4 What it doesnʼt share with you is the heart of the program-- the women and girls who drive the content of Zoeyʼs Room and help build a participatory learning community.

Platform Shoes Forum’s Model Program Zoey’s Room SLIDE 3 This video is more of a promotional video and lists the key elements that make up the program, such as: • Online community tools like our chat room and our message boards. • Fab Female role models • Science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)-based learning challenges that we call the Tec-Treks • And opportunities to earn real prizes like web cams, wireless mice and the SIMS game through a point system. SLIDE 4 What it doesnʼt share with you is the heart of the program-- the women and girls who drive the content of Zoeyʼs Room and help build a participatory learning community.

Take Notice... SLIDE 5 Look at these stats: 51 %-age of professional STEM occupations in the 2006 U.S. workforce held by women 26 %-age of professional IT-related occupations in 2006 U.S. workforce held by women 13 %-age of corporate ofﬁcer positions at Fortune 500 technology companies held by women Studies continue to show that though girls are interested in the subjects, they do not pursue higher education and/or careers in these ﬁelds.

Take Notice... 51 %-age of professional STEM occupations in the 2006 U.S. workforce held by women 26 %-age of professional IT-related occupations in the 2006 U.S. workforce held by women 13 %-age of corporate officer positions at Fortune 500 technology companies held by women SLIDE 5 Look at these stats: 51 %-age of professional STEM occupations in the 2006 U.S. workforce held by women 26 %-age of professional IT-related occupations in 2006 U.S. workforce held by women 13 %-age of corporate officer positions at Fortune 500 technology companies held by women Studies continue to show that though girls are interested in the subjects, they do not pursue higher education and/or careers in these fields.

Interests... Middle School Girls SLIDE 6 Our solution was to uncover where girlsʼ interests were and build that into a growing support system. SLIDE 7 So we had to think like a middle school tween girl and design a program to include: • Social connections • Ways to create, build or tinker • Opportunities to share • Access to a good listener / friend—a peer mentor. • Professional role models

Interests... Playing sports Homework Civically engaged Creating projects Text Messaging Middle School Chatting Girls Being with Friends Playing games and Family Creating Proﬁles Shopping and sharing stories Researching SLIDE 6 Our solution was to uncover where girlsʼ interests were and build that into a growing support system. SLIDE 7 So we had to think like a middle school tween girl and design a program to include: • Social connections • Ways to create, build or tinker • Opportunities to share • Access to a good listener / friend—a peer mentor. • Professional role models

Interests... 1. Social connections 2. Ways to create, build or tinker 3. Opportunities to share 4. Access to a good listener -- a peer mentor 5. Role models in the ﬁeld of interest SLIDE 6 Our solution was to uncover where girlsʼ interests were and build that into a growing support system. SLIDE 7 So we had to think like a middle school tween girl and design a program to include: • Social connections • Ways to create, build or tinker • Opportunities to share • Access to a good listener / friend—a peer mentor. • Professional role models

characteristics of a participatory culture 1. Relatively low barriers for engagement 2. Strong support for sharing creations with others 3. Informal mentorships 4. Members believe their contributions matter 5. Care about others’ opinions of self and work Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushatma, R., Robison, A., and Weigel, M. (2007). “Confronting the Challenges of a Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. SLIDE 7 These solutions are characteristic traits of a participatory culture (that prominent researchers in the digital learning arena like Henry Jenkins have expounded upon.)

learning in a PARTICIPATORY CULTURE Shifts the focus from individual expression to one of community involvement SLIDE 8 Learning in a participatory culture shifts the focus from one of individual expression to one of community involvement. Rather than build Zoeyʼs Room for consumers of STEM information, we intended for girls to be engaged as:

learning in a PARTICIPATORY CULTURE * Creators ...of robotic hands SLIDE 9 • Creators of handmade projects in STEM such as robotic hands

learning in a PARTICIPATORY CULTURE * Circulators ...of cool STEM play online, such as the bionic beak story for the eagle SLIDE 10 • Circulators of cool STEM material found online, such as the bionic beak story for the eagle

learning in a PARTICIPATORY CULTURE * Connectors ...with their peers, Friends of Zoey, Fab Females and even Zoey SLIDE 11 • Connectors with their peers, Friends of Zoey, Fab Females and even Zoey herself and,

learning in a PARTICIPATORY CULTURE * Collaborators ...on quests through the web such as the Virtual Valentine’s Day date SLIDE 12 • Collaborators on quests through the web such as the Virtual Valentineʼs Day Date

become a member SLIDE 13 The impact of our approach towards building the STEM pipeline has been evident in our member community. Girls have become members in two ways … SLIDE 14 either participating through an after-school program or SLIDE 15 participating individually at home. Girls even found the website on their own when looking for resources to ﬁll their STEM interest.

become a member After-School Club -- Zoey’s Room offers materials that can integrate into any after-school club where an adult works side by side with girls to increase their knowledge in math, science and technology! SLIDE 13 The impact of our approach towards building the STEM pipeline has been evident in our member community. Girls have become members in two ways … SLIDE 14 either participating through an after-school program or SLIDE 15 participating individually at home. Girls even found the website on their own when looking for resources to ﬁll their STEM interest.

become a member After-School Club -- Zoey’s Room offers materials that can integrate into any after-school club where an adult works side by side with girls to increase their knowledge in math, science and technology! Individual Membership -- Girls participate in the program through the interactive website at www.zoeysroom.com SLIDE 13 The impact of our approach towards building the STEM pipeline has been evident in our member community. Girls have become members in two ways … SLIDE 14 either participating through an after-school program or SLIDE 15 participating individually at home. Girls even found the website on their own when looking for resources to ﬁll their STEM interest.

Zoey’s Room members SLIDE 16 Going on our 5th year, there are many stories that I could share with you to explain the impact of this program… but Iʼll choose one. SLIDE 17 This is a girl whose screename is Lil Island as she lives on a remote island off the coast of Maine. Iʼll tell you a little bit about Lil Islandʼs journey through Zoeyʼs Room. Lil island became a member of Zoeyʼs Room three years ago at the age of 11 ﬁrst on her own and then through the after-school Zoeyʼs Room program launched by the Island Institute in Maine.

lil island’s journey SLIDE 18 She lives on Vinalhaven, a remote island off the coast of Maine—with a population of around 1,235. With little to do after school other than sports and occasional activities, island kids often ﬁnd themselves socially isolated and yearning for interesting challenges.

lil island’s journey SLIDE 19 Beyond the delight of meeting other girls from other states through the safe, Zoeyʼs Room chatroom — Lil island was excited about Zoeyʼs Room because of her interest in math and science.

lil island’s journey SCIENCE MATH SLIDE 19 Beyond the delight of meeting other girls from other states through the safe, Zoeyʼs Room chatroom — Lil island was excited about Zoeyʼs Room because of her interest in math and science.

lil island’s club leader says... SLIDE 20 Hereʼs a quote from her Club Leader. “Lil island spends every summer at a science camp and I would think when she gets older, she will go into a career of the sciences. Already sheʼs in 8th grade and poised to be taking 10th grade Algebra. Sheʼs building her “robot hand” through the Mavis the Mobot Tec-Trek™ and has done about 11 Tec-Trek™ activities in all categories: science, technology, engineering and math. Sheʼs self-motivated and wouldʼve been happy to just to do [parts of] Zoeyʼs Room herself, but she looks forward to coming to the club every week.”

lil island’s club leader says... “Lil island spends every summer at a science camp and I would think when she gets older, she will go into a career of the sciences. Already she’s in 8th grade and poised to be taking 10th grade Algebra. She’s building her “robot hand” through the Mavis the Mobot Tec-Trek™ and has done about 11 Tec-Trek™ activities in all categories: science, technology, engineering and math. She’s self-motivated and would’ve been happy to just to do [parts of] Zoey’s Room herself, but she looks forward to coming to the club every week.” SLIDE 20 Hereʼs a quote from her Club Leader. “Lil island spends every summer at a science camp and I would think when she gets older, she will go into a career of the sciences. Already sheʼs in 8th grade and poised to be taking 10th grade Algebra. Sheʼs building her “robot hand” through the Mavis the Mobot Tec-Trek™ and has done about 11 Tec-Trek™ activities in all categories: science, technology, engineering and math. Sheʼs self-motivated and wouldʼve been happy to just to do [parts of] Zoeyʼs Room herself, but she looks forward to coming to the club every week.”

two highlights for lil island 1. The chance to chat with the Fab Female Diane Cowen, a lobster scientist (and fellow islander). SLIDE 21 & 22 Two highlights for Lil island this year have been: 1. The chance to chat with the Fab Female Diane Cowen, a lobster scientist (and fellow islander). The second highlight for Lil island was: 2. The chance to meet their real-life ZR friends from the mainland this past spring. SLIDE 23 & 24 -- Explain Fab Females. So when Diane chatted with the girls and talked about what it was like to be a lobster scientist, Lil island immediately related to her and asked many questions, because many of her relatives and neighbors on the island were lobstermen. And this gave Lil island a whole new perspective. When she grew up, now there was a job she could do around her interests—not just be a lobsterman—but be a lobster scientist.

two highlights for lil island 1. The chance to chat with the Fab Female Diane Cowen, a lobster scientist (and fellow islander). 2. The chance to meet their real-life ZR friends from the mainland this past spring. SLIDE 21 & 22 Two highlights for Lil island this year have been: 1. The chance to chat with the Fab Female Diane Cowen, a lobster scientist (and fellow islander). The second highlight for Lil island was: 2. The chance to meet their real-life ZR friends from the mainland this past spring. SLIDE 23 & 24 -- Explain Fab Females. So when Diane chatted with the girls and talked about what it was like to be a lobster scientist, Lil island immediately related to her and asked many questions, because many of her relatives and neighbors on the island were lobstermen. And this gave Lil island a whole new perspective. When she grew up, now there was a job she could do around her interests—not just be a lobsterman—but be a lobster scientist.

fab females food technologist, NASA doctor installation artist palentolgist marine biologist computer engineer IT director entrepreneur civil engineer volcano seismoligist geologist SLIDE 21 & 22 Two highlights for Lil island this year have been: 1. The chance to chat with the Fab Female Diane Cowen, a lobster scientist (and fellow islander). The second highlight for Lil island was: 2. The chance to meet their real-life ZR friends from the mainland this past spring. SLIDE 23 & 24 -- Explain Fab Females. So when Diane chatted with the girls and talked about what it was like to be a lobster scientist, Lil island immediately related to her and asked many questions, because many of her relatives and neighbors on the island were lobstermen. And this gave Lil island a whole new perspective. When she grew up, now there was a job she could do around her interests—not just be a lobsterman—but be a lobster scientist.

fab females 1. The chance to chat with the Fab Female Diane Cowen, a lobster scientist (and fellow islander). SLIDE 21 & 22 Two highlights for Lil island this year have been: 1. The chance to chat with the Fab Female Diane Cowen, a lobster scientist (and fellow islander). The second highlight for Lil island was: 2. The chance to meet their real-life ZR friends from the mainland this past spring. SLIDE 23 & 24 -- Explain Fab Females. So when Diane chatted with the girls and talked about what it was like to be a lobster scientist, Lil island immediately related to her and asked many questions, because many of her relatives and neighbors on the island were lobstermen. And this gave Lil island a whole new perspective. When she grew up, now there was a job she could do around her interests—not just be a lobsterman—but be a lobster scientist.

two highlights for lil island 2. The chance to meet their real-life ZR friends from the mainland this past spring. SLIDE 25 In regards to the second highlight — the Zoeyʼs Room program is a digital hybrid, seamlessly moving between online and off. This happens not only through activities within each Tec-Trek, but also through ZRʼs partner organizations like after-school YWCA programs …giving girls the chance to meet other clubs in their region and even in different states. This summer, Lil island turned 15 and approached the program staff at Zoeyʼs Room on her own to ask if she could be an ofﬁcial quot;Friend of Zoey.”

friends of Zoey * high school interns * continues Zoey’s Room membership past age 14 * provide peer-to-peer guidance on ethical and social issues * builds Tec-Treks with Fab Females * mentored by Fab Females SLIDE 26 Friends of Zoey are high-school students who work as interns for the Zoeyʼs Room program. This pipeline was created to continue membership past the age of 14, develop peer mentors at the high school level and allow a vehicle for user-generated content and on-going evaluation of the girls. Friends of Zoey are trained for one month and provide peer-to-peer guidance on ethical and socialization issues as well as help with building Tec-Treks and recruiting Fab Females. SLIDE 27 Lil island became a Friend of Zoey and adopted her online avatar persona of JENN to be a role model to the girls in the program. Now islandlvr has transformed to JENN to continue towards her STEM destiny. Which brings me to another area where Friends of Zoey have been very helpful helping new girls through the Tec-Treks and the features of Zoeyʼs online Room.

lil island SLIDE 26 Friends of Zoey are high-school students who work as interns for the Zoeyʼs Room program. This pipeline was created to continue membership past the age of 14, develop peer mentors at the high school level and allow a vehicle for user-generated content and on-going evaluation of the girls. Friends of Zoey are trained for one month and provide peer-to-peer guidance on ethical and socialization issues as well as help with building Tec-Treks and recruiting Fab Females. SLIDE 27 Lil island became a Friend of Zoey and adopted her online avatar persona of JENN to be a role model to the girls in the program. Now islandlvr has transformed to JENN to continue towards her STEM destiny. Which brings me to another area where Friends of Zoey have been very helpful helping new girls through the Tec-Treks and the features of Zoeyʼs online Room.

lil island becomes JENN SLIDE 26 Friends of Zoey are high-school students who work as interns for the Zoeyʼs Room program. This pipeline was created to continue membership past the age of 14, develop peer mentors at the high school level and allow a vehicle for user-generated content and on-going evaluation of the girls. Friends of Zoey are trained for one month and provide peer-to-peer guidance on ethical and socialization issues as well as help with building Tec-Treks and recruiting Fab Females. SLIDE 27 Lil island became a Friend of Zoey and adopted her online avatar persona of JENN to be a role model to the girls in the program. Now islandlvr has transformed to JENN to continue towards her STEM destiny. Which brings me to another area where Friends of Zoey have been very helpful helping new girls through the Tec-Treks and the features of Zoeyʼs online Room.

Tec-Treks SLIDE 28 Explain Tec-Treks -- Donʼt forget levels and how we integrate assessment questions to evaluate the impact of the Tec-TrekTM and its effect on the userʼs learning. SLIDE 29 -- Here is our most recent Tec-Trek on ﬁnancial literacy sponsored by KeyBank, in which ZRʼs staff worked with KeyBankʼs staff to create a mutually beneﬁcial story and activities around the concept of interest and saving. Itʼs called “Saving Zoey.” SLIDE 30 & 31 Show Saving Zoey As for peer mentoring, JENN has been wonderful in welcoming new girls, showing them the ropes, keeping them safe and helping them understand the Room and the Tec-Treks.

JENN as a mentor SLIDE 32 For example, hereʼs a Board post in which she warned other girls about staying safe online. Nothing we could say would have quite the same impact as it coming from JENN, a fellow community member. It just goes to show she is a role model of an exceptional level. SLIDE 33 -- Beginning with girls in grade five through professionals, Zoey’s Room creates a cross-generational pipeline of females in STEM fields in a mutually-beneficial support system.

beneﬁts of the S.T.E.M. pipeline * Grades 5 through high school, college women and female professionals SLIDE 34 & 35 -- Through informal mentorship, the STEM Pipeline addresses the expert/novice functionality of participatory learning, where the heart of Zoeyʼs Room, the women and girls that drive the community, play the role of expert or novice at different points in the interaction. 35: EX: the Fab Female = subject expert but the girl = expert in developing learning that will engage her and her peers. Together, they pool their knowledge toward a common goal of learning more about STEM. SLIDE 36 -- The growth of interest in science and technology is especially signiﬁcant in socially isolated communities where girls lack access to role models in these professions and have unequal access to the opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare them to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow.

beneﬁts of the S.T.E.M. pipeline * Grades 5 through high school, college women and female professionals * Addresses the expert / novice functionality of participatory learning SLIDE 34 & 35 -- Through informal mentorship, the STEM Pipeline addresses the expert/novice functionality of participatory learning, where the heart of Zoeyʼs Room, the women and girls that drive the community, play the role of expert or novice at different points in the interaction. 35: EX: the Fab Female = subject expert but the girl = expert in developing learning that will engage her and her peers. Together, they pool their knowledge toward a common goal of learning more about STEM. SLIDE 36 -- The growth of interest in science and technology is especially signiﬁcant in socially isolated communities where girls lack access to role models in these professions and have unequal access to the opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare them to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow.

beneﬁts of the S.T.E.M. pipeline * Grades 5 through high school, college women and female professionals * Addresses the expert / novice functionality of participatory learning * Provide access to opportunities, role models, experiences, skills and knowledge that will prepare them SLIDE 34 & 35 -- Through informal mentorship, the STEM Pipeline addresses the expert/novice functionality of participatory learning, where the heart of Zoeyʼs Room, the women and girls that drive the community, play the role of expert or novice at different points in the interaction. 35: EX: the Fab Female = subject expert but the girl = expert in developing learning that will engage her and her peers. Together, they pool their knowledge toward a common goal of learning more about STEM. SLIDE 36 -- The growth of interest in science and technology is especially signiﬁcant in socially isolated communities where girls lack access to role models in these professions and have unequal access to the opportunities, experiences, skills, and knowledge that will prepare them to be the STEM leaders of tomorrow.

what’s next for Zoey’s Room? SLIDE 37 So whatʼs next for Zoeyʼs Room? ….Role-modeling has been incredibly effective as evidenced by our Fab Female chat sessions. SLIDE 38 Fab Females from companies like Microsoft and National Semiconductor have often asked how they can stay involved as mentors. SLIDE 39 We have partnered with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), an initiative that supports research and its dissemination of STEM education to girls and women nationally.

what’s next for Zoey’s Room? An initiative that supports research and dissemination of STEM education to girls and women nationally. SLIDE 37 So whatʼs next for Zoeyʼs Room? ….Role-modeling has been incredibly effective as evidenced by our Fab Female chat sessions. SLIDE 38 Fab Females from companies like Microsoft and National Semiconductor have often asked how they can stay involved as mentors. SLIDE 39 We have partnered with the National Girls Collaborative Project (NGCP), an initiative that supports research and its dissemination of STEM education to girls and women nationally.

distributed STEM learning communities SLIDE 40 Zoeyʼs Room serves girls seeking STEM and NGCP serves women and educators who deliver STEM programs. Like the women and girls in Zoeyʼs Room, our two organizations will share resources to create a distributed learning community that can work in different regions. This relationship will extend the STEM Pipeline in order to more broadly study the potential of mentoring, content/resource-sharing, and role-modeling in relation to participatory learning.

Pew Internet & American Life Project SLIDE 41 -- With 93% of teens and tweens now using the Internet and clamoring to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, educators are looking to reach kids in the environments they are already engaging in. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007) SLIDE 42 -- Pew Internet & American Life Project also found that among web users between the ages of 12 to 17, (our Friends of Zoey age) significantly more girls than boys SLIDE 43 -- Blog, Create or work on their own web pages and Build or work on websites for other people and create profiles on social networking sites

Pew Internet & American Life Project With 93% of teens and tweens now using the Internet and clamoring to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, educators are looking to reach kids in the environments they are already engaging in. SLIDE 41 -- With 93% of teens and tweens now using the Internet and clamoring to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, educators are looking to reach kids in the environments they are already engaging in. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007) SLIDE 42 -- Pew Internet & American Life Project also found that among web users between the ages of 12 to 17, (our Friends of Zoey age) significantly more girls than boys SLIDE 43 -- Blog, Create or work on their own web pages and Build or work on websites for other people and create profiles on social networking sites

Pew Internet & American Life Project Between the ages of 12 to 17 (Friends of Zoey age), signiﬁcantly more girls than boys... SLIDE 41 -- With 93% of teens and tweens now using the Internet and clamoring to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, educators are looking to reach kids in the environments they are already engaging in. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007) SLIDE 42 -- Pew Internet & American Life Project also found that among web users between the ages of 12 to 17, (our Friends of Zoey age) significantly more girls than boys SLIDE 43 -- Blog, Create or work on their own web pages and Build or work on websites for other people and create profiles on social networking sites

Pew Internet & American Life Project Between the ages of 12 to 17 (Friends of Zoey age), signiﬁcantly more girls than boys... * Blog -- 35 percent of girls compared to 20 percent of boys * Work on their own web pages (32% of girls compared with 22% of boys) * Build websites for other people and * create proﬁles on social networking sites (70 percent of girls 15 to 17 have one, versus 57 percent of boys 15 to 17) SLIDE 41 -- With 93% of teens and tweens now using the Internet and clamoring to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, educators are looking to reach kids in the environments they are already engaging in. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007) SLIDE 42 -- Pew Internet & American Life Project also found that among web users between the ages of 12 to 17, (our Friends of Zoey age) significantly more girls than boys SLIDE 43 -- Blog, Create or work on their own web pages and Build or work on websites for other people and create profiles on social networking sites

“power users” of social media SLIDE 41 -- With 93% of teens and tweens now using the Internet and clamoring to social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and YouTube, educators are looking to reach kids in the environments they are already engaging in. (Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2007) SLIDE 42 -- Pew Internet & American Life Project also found that among web users between the ages of 12 to 17, (our Friends of Zoey age) significantly more girls than boys SLIDE 43 -- Blog, Create or work on their own web pages and Build or work on websites for other people and create profiles on social networking sites

Questions? For More Information Erin B. Reilly Co-Founder of Zoey’s Room www.zoeysroom.com P: 207-594-1842 SLIDE 44 -- Girls are now deemed the “power users” of social media. This trend poses what we, through Zoey’s Room, have known for years—that girls tend to thrive in collaborative environments. SLIDE 45 Thank you and I’m happy to take any questions.

ZR08 Creating the STEM pipeline

by Erin Reilly on Nov 12, 2008

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ZR08 Creating the STEM pipeline — Presentation Transcript