effective STEM programs for adolescent girls - Three Approaches and Many Lessons Learned

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Pentious

effective STEM programs for adolescent girls examines three STEM-based approaches through the voices of teen participants in leadership and engineering initiatives, including Queens Community House’s Access for Young Women and Oakland-area Techbridge programs. It reports key learning outcomes such as research skills, teamwork, enjoyment of hands-on engineering activities, and greater appreciation for earth science and math. The discussion connects outcomes to research on drivers of women’s underrepresentation in engineering and computer science, including spatial reasoning factors, confidence gaps, early career preferences, and academic sexism impacts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages9

Reading Time23 min

AccessFree to download

Voices from participant experiences

Leadership and engineering-focused programs

Barriers to girls’ participation in STEM

Spatial reasoning and math ability

Confidence, course performance, and early preferences

Academic sexism and competence

effective STEM programs for adolescent girls Three Approaches and Many Lessons Learned by Harriet S. Mosatche, Susan Matloff-Nieves, Linda Kekelis, and Elizabeth K. Lawner “I learned to create surveys and understand statistics.” “I know how to do research and how researchers work.”“Sometimes it’s better to work as a group than individually.”“I now see the value of subjects like earth science.” These were some of the responses teen girls gave when asked about the most important thing they had learned from their experience in Access for Young Women, a girls’ leadership program infused with science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) content run by Queens Community House in New York City. Similarly, the comments below come from girls who participated in engineering-focused Techbridge and Girls Go Techbridge programs, which are based in Oakland, California, and have program sites around the country. “Circuits are really freaking fun.” “I learned that scientists can have hobbies , too.”“Everyone likes the soldering best because no one HARRIET MOSATCHE, PH.D., is president of The Mosatche Group ([MosatcheGroup.com](MosatcheGroup.com)), which provides program development, evaluation, training, and coaching services to nonproﬁt organizations. She is the author of several books for tweens and teens, including the awardwinning Too Old for This, Too Young for That! Your Survival Guide for the Middle-School Years. Along with several young adult co-advisers, she writes an advice column for kids, teens, and parents [at AskDrM.org](at AskDrM.org). SUSAN MATLOFF-NIEVES, L. M.S.W., is associate executive director for youth services at Queens Community House, a multiservice settlement house where she has worked for two decades with outstanding and passionate colleagues. Her research interests are communitybased youth work, staff development, and the intersection of youth development and education. She earned her B.A. from Brown University and her M.S.W. from Hunter College School of Social Work. LINDA KEKELIS, PH.D., is executive director of Techbridge. She has a doctorate in special education from the University of California, Berkeley. With 20 years’ experience designing girls’STEM programs, she collaborates with girl-serving organizations, participates in advisory boards, and works with professional groups and corporate partners to promote females’ participation in STEM. She conducts research and writes extensively, translating research into practical applications for educators, professionals, and parents. ELIZABETH K. LAWNER is a senior research assistant in the youth development program area at Child Trends, a nonproﬁt research institute. She earned her B.A. from Duke University. Lawner has worked on several evaluations of out-of-school time programs and has conducted research on the impact of stereotype threat on women’s math performance. She is also the author of Getting to Know the Real You: 50 Fun Quizzes Just for Girls. had ever done it before, and you felt responsible because you were using a power tool.” “It was through Techbridge that I discovered my love for engineering.” While women’s participation in math and physical science continues to lag to some degree behind that of men, the disparity is much greater in engineering and computer science (National Science Foundation, 2011) . A review of over 400 studies related to the possible causes of women’sunderrepresentation in STEM (Ceci, Williams, & Barnett, 2009) identiﬁed several reasons, including the following: U 􀂜Ài L􀂜ÞÃ Ì􀂅>􀂘 }􀂈À􀂏Ã «iÀv􀂜À􀂓 >Ì Ì􀂅i ÛiÀÞ 􀂅􀂈}􀂅iÃÌ 􀂏iÛi􀂏Ã in spatial reasoning and math ability, including on socalled “gatekeeper” tests such as the SAT-M and GRE-Q. U 􀀔􀂈À􀂏Ã Ü􀂅􀂜 􀂅>Ûi 􀂅􀂈}􀂅 􀂓>Ì􀂅 >L􀂈􀂏􀂈Ì􀂈iÃ >Ài 􀂓􀂜Ài 􀂏􀂈􀂎i􀂏Þ Ì􀂅>􀂘 boys who have high math abilities to also have high verbal abilities, giving them more choices of careers to pursue. U 7􀂜􀂓i􀂘 Ü􀂅􀂜 􀂅>Ûi 􀂅􀂈}􀂅 􀂓>Ì􀂅 >L􀂈􀂏􀂈Ì􀂈iÃ >Ài 􀂓􀂜Ài 􀂏􀂈􀂎i􀂏Þ than men with high math abilities to choose career

FAQs

What did teen girls report learning most from STEM leadership and engineering programs?

They highlighted learning survey and statistics skills, understanding how research works, and valuing group work. They also described enjoying engineering activities, recognizing the importance of subjects like earth science, and gaining interest in engineering and related fields.

Why does the document say women’s participation lags more in engineering and computer science than in math and physical science?

It notes that disparities are larger in engineering and computer science. The text links this to multiple research-identified causes, including differences related to spatial reasoning and math abilities, career-choice patterns, and confidence and interest gaps during middle and high school.

What interventions does the document reference to address barriers for girls in STEM?

It references recommendations that girls should be taught their abilities are malleable, supported with prescriptive and informational feedback, offered high-achieving female role models, and provided environments that inspire curiosity for long-term interest. It also cites making spatial skills training available to girls.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Pentious