The presentation talks about a college initiative to get more women interested in STEM and STEM-related careers.

1. Georgia Piedmont Technical College
Clarkston, Georgia
Dr. Natoshia Anderson
Dr. Mariam Dittmann
Ms. Maria Johnson

2.  The focus of the STEM One project is on highlighting
STEM, STEM-related, and technical careers to high
school students.
 DCSS, Career Academies
 Using the career academies adopted by the local
school system, GPTC and local business partners were
able to develop a series of programs that:
 Have assisted in retaining students in technical and STEM
career academies at the high school level,
 Have been an active recruitment tool for GPTC
 Allowed students to explore alternative options for
postsecondary education and
 Provided awareness of alternative career choices.

3.  Established in 1961, Georgia Piedmont Technical College
(GPTC) is one of the oldest and most respected of Georgia's 24
technical colleges.
 Georgia Piedmont Technical College prepares individuals with
the education, training, and skills to enter the workplace
ready to make a difference in their hiring companies and in
the ever changing global economy.

4.  DeKalb County School System(DCSS) enrolls
more than 100,000 students annually.
 DCSS is the 3rd largest school system in the
State of Georgia

5.  A career academy is a personalized, smaller learning
community (SLC) within a high school, selecting a subset of
students and teachers for a two-, three-, or four-year
span.
 GOALS OF CAREER ACADEMIES
 To provide students with the academics and career-focused electives
to graduate with a college prep diploma or dual diploma with
specialization in a concentration in humanities, math/science, or
career technology
 To show the connection between academic courses and careers in the
real world
 To develop knowledge regarding careers that utilizes a student's
talents and aptitudes

6.  Major Student Benefit of Career Academies
 Post Secondary Opportunities
 Articulated Credit
 Dual Enrollment
 Joint Enrollment
 Simultaneous Diploma/Degree Completion

7.  Business, Marketing, and Computer Science
Academy
 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics) Academy
 Health Science and Human Services Academy
 Creative and
Performing Art Academy

8.  Research has lamented the lack of qualified
employees in STEM, STEM-related, and non-
traditional careers
 Dr. Anderson’s story
 Garnered support from College, Business
Partners and Community Leaders

9.  College already had a partnership with the
local school system
 Articulation Agreements
 Dual Enrollment
 Admissions
 Leveraged Partnership through STEM One
Project
 STEM ONE (Opportunities and Explorations)

10.  ENERGE Grant
 Atlanta Women’s Foundation
 DCSS- Smaller Learning Communities
 Business and Industry Partnerships
 Perkins
 PBI
 Complete College Georgia

11.  Touch of Tech
 Girls On Tech Day
 Non Traditional Career College Fair
 Mini Projects-Girls Love STEM!!!
 STEM Carnival
 STEM Teacher Training
 STEM Night Out
 Tapestry Project

12.  Done during semesters (1 Fall Semester, 1 Spring Semester)
 Non-traditional Career College Fair- 500 high school students
 STEM Carnival- in May to coincide with Georgia STEM day if
possible
 Teacher Training- done at the request of the school system
 STEM Night Out- done at the request of individual schools
 Girls on Tech Day
 Each visit had a theme, focused on girls
 20 girls from each school
 Featured Criminal Justice, Architecture and Construction,
Engineering, Welding, Commercial Refrigeration, Drafting
Technology, Automotive Technology, Electronics
 One big event at GPTC

14.  Three Day Nontraditional Career Workshop for
Women
 Result of work with teen girls
 Funded by AWF Grant
 Designed for women in community that were
unemployed or underemployed
 Focused on women empowerment, education
opportunities, nontraditional career exploration.
 Dream Board Activity
 Automotive ,Welding and Electrical Demonstration
 Career Tours

16. 1. Connect with and form a working
relationship with the CTAE Director and/or
staff of the local school system
2. Get College Administration buy-in

17. 3. Connect with the STEM
Coordinators/Directors
4. Use all available resources
5. Use Your Business and Industry
Relationships

18. 6. Keep good records (record meeting minutes,
pictures of the events, surveys or some other
assessments to measure the “success” of the
program, event, etc.)
7. Learn from past mistakes
8. Don’t lose sight of the ultimate objective
9. Events/projects must contain energy,
excitement and provide a hands on
experience

19. 10. Use the data to tweak and change project if
necessary.
Georgia Piedmont Technical College STEM Related Program Enrollment by
Gender
2010-2012
Program of Study Female Male
STEM Related Programs
Total
34.60% 65.40%
Automotive Technology 6.57% 93.43%
Computer Information
Systems
30.50% 69.50%
Criminal Justice 63.47% 36.53%
Drafting Technology 24.19% 75.81%
Welding and Joining
Technology
5.83% 94.17%

20. Questions

21. For More Information
Dr. Natoshia Anderson
Director of STEM Initiatives
404.297.9522 x1239
anderson@gptc.edu
Dr. Mariam Dittmann
Vice President of Academic Affairs
dittmannm@gptc.edu
Ms. Maria Johnson
English Faculty
johnsonm@gptc.edu