AAUW STEM NEWS- from Linda D. Hallman, CAE AAUW Executive Director

Fall 2012 Edition

Dear Members and Friends,

The temperature outside may be cooler, but STEM is hotter than ever! With the election over, the administration is going to continue to focus on STEM education with an emphasis on innovation and new technology. Same goes for AAUW.

After being recognized by STEMConnector as one of 100 Women Leaders in STEM, I was honored to be invited to two receptions here in Washington, D.C. STEMconnector also listed AAUW as its STEM Results profile of the day on October 24, giving great visibility to all AAUW does to break through barriers for women and girls in STEM.

We are also thrilled to announce that AAUW has chosen five pilot sites to host Tech Trek math and science camps in 2013. Find out about the new sites below, and stay posted for more information about the camps in the coming months.

We hope you enjoy the winter holidays, and we look forward to another year of widening the pipeline for women and girls entering the STEM fields. What are you doing in your community? Let us know about your STEM activities so other branches can be inspired!

Sincerely,
Linda D. Hallman, CAE
AAUW Executive Director

P.S. Missed an issue? Interested in sharing with a friend? Back issues of Spotlight on STEM are archived on the AAUW website.

AAUW STEM NEWS

AAUW Talks to the White House
The White House Office of Public Engagement and Council on Women and Girls held a joint conference call for AAUW members on August 16 to discuss topics relating to gender equality. Among the participants was Steve Robinson of the Domestic Policy Council, who spoke about federal efforts to increase women’s participation in STEM.

AAUW Launches Five New Tech Trek Camps
Tech Trek inspires girls to see their potential in STEM with weeklong summer camps hosted on college and university campuses throughout the country. This year, AAUW added five new pilot sites:

Know an organization looking to fund proven winners when it comes to widening the STEM pipeline? E‑mail stem@aauw.org with contact information.

Get STEM Updates on the AAUW Blog
Check out some of the recent STEM blog posts from AAUW Dialog. It’s a great place to get talking points for your next discussion on women in STEM.

    • Meet Emma P. Carr: Chemist and Mount Holyoke Legend
    • Meet Sequetta Sweet: Consultant and Dreamer
    • From Barbie to Builder
    • Meet Cynthia White: From Engineer to STEM Education Reformer
    • Celebrate Women in STEM on Ada Lovelace Day

Want to know more about AAUW’s STEM efforts? Check us out on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @AAUWSTEM.

FROM THE FIELD

Looking for a successful STEM program for your community? Why not take a look at what other AAUW branches are doing?

Westchester Hosts Engineering Camp
Middle school girls attended Visualization in Engineering: Paper to 3D, an engineering camp held in August. The goal of the four-day camp was to encourage girls to develop spatial skills and pursue STEM careers. The event was held by the AAUW Westchester (NY) Branch in partnership with the Board of Cooperative Educational Services Technical Center in Yorktown, New York.

Fargo-Moorhead Branch Hosts “Women and Girls in Science”
Ellen Brisch, professor of biosciences at Minnesota State University, Moorhead, spoke to AAUW members in North Dakota’s Fargo-Moorhead area on the topic of women and girls in science on September 17.

Motivating Girls in STEM
Women leaders who are motivating girls to pursue an interest in STEM presented October 23 to the AAUW McLean (VA) Branch on “How We Can Make a Difference in Local Girls’ Education and Future Careers.” The branch heard from local STEM educators and advocates Naomi Sweet, Billie Feldhaus, and Elizabeth Vandenburg on the programs they have founded.

Second Annual STEM Conference
Middle school girls and their parents participated in workshops run by prominent STEM women at a conference held at AAUW’s Arlington (VA) Branch on November 3. Sandra Cauffman of NASA gave the keynote speech on her experiences as a woman in STEM.

Mothers and Daughters Discover STEM in Fremont
Girls and their mothers joined the AAUW Fremont (CA) Branch for hands-on STEM activities such as “Kitchen Chemistry,” “LEGO Robotics Mania,” and a planetarium show at the Mother/Daughter Math and Science Discovery Day held November 3 at Fremont, California’s Hopkins Junior High School.

FOR THE GIRLS

GoldieBlox Inspires Girls to Become Engineers
GoldieBlox is an engineering toy for girls. Creator Debra Sterling, a Stanford engineering graduate, hopes that her project will spark young girls’ interest in STEM as construction toys marketed to boys have done for their male peers.

Ada Lovelace Day
What part should actress Keira Knightley play next? Ada Lovelace, the world’s first computer programmer, of course. On Ada Lovelace Day, AAUW dedicated a blog post to Lovelace and celebrated the contributions of other women in STEM. Check out the blog to learn more about this fascinating STEM pioneer!

See our list of online STEM resources for women and girls for more tools.

Questions or comments about this e‑newsletter? E‑mail us at stem@aauw.org.