November 25, 2014

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Black Girls serving as their own Role Models in STEM

This world sends many different messages. Today a rather poignant message was sent to America, it was directed at Americans who care about justice in particular.

By DNLee

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This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

This world sends many different messages. Today a rather poignant message was sent to America, it was directed at Americans who care about justice in particular.

In a world that tells black children and black girls, especially that they are less than I felt like sharing some good news - some good STEM news.

 

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Western High School's RoboDoves crushes the competition, stereotypes

The RoboDoves - an all-girls Robotics team at a Baltimore High School demonstrate they are THE team to beat at Robotics compeititions.

"Everyone is expecting us to come. People know who we are," said Dania Allgood, 17, a Western High School senior who has been a RoboDove since her freshman year. RoboDoves' head coach and Western High School technology and AP art teacher Heather Romney sums it up more pithily: "Girls like to compete just as much as boys." ~

Black Girls Stand a Better Chance in STEM

Complex social dynamics among African-Americans results in different ways parents react to their sons and daughters.

"What’s happening with black girls is that their parents are seeing them as strong and efficacious and capable, so [they’re] pushing them into whatever it is they want to do and find interesting," Rowley said.

African girls’ create a pee-powered generator

A group of 14-year-old school girls show off a urine-powered generator at an innovation fair in Lagos, Nigeria. The invention still has some kinks to work out, but the idea of taking a waste product, that is readily available and abundant and using it to create energy is genius.

What other good news do you have to share? I love hearing about broadening participation opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), so drop those links.

DNLee is a biologist and she studies animal behavior, mammalogy, and ecology . She uses social media, informal experiential science experiences, and draws from hip hop culture to share science with general audiences, particularly under-served groups.

More by DNLee

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