By the year 2020, science, technology, engineering, and math—or STEM—jobs are projected to grow as much as 62 percent. Yet the number of girls who have access to high-quality STEM and computer science, or CS, learning opportunities—or who see these disciplines as possible careers—remains low. A recent survey found that three-quarters of teenage girls of color in the United States expressed an interest in STEM, but women and girls are still underrepresented in STEM and CS educational programs and careers.
Fortunately, the need to encourage more girls to participate in STEM and CS learning opportunities has not gone unnoticed. The White House and the U.S. Congress have launched several efforts to raise awareness about the importance of women and girls in STEM. And across the country, several initiatives—including CODE2040, Made with Code, and Hour of Code—are underway. As these initiatives continue to expose girls to the possibilities of STEM and CS careers, the United States will be poised to have a new generation of girls who are ready to become the next innovators, scientists, and researchers.
Please join Google and the Center for American Progress for a conversation about the current environment for women and girls in STEM and CS and the new initiatives that aim to increase the number of girls in computer science.
This event has been planned to comply with congressional ethics rules. Stricter rules may apply to certain executive branch employees and state and local government officials. Please contact [email protected] with questions, or if you’d like to reimburse Google for your attendance.
Welcoming Remarks:
Susan Molinari , Vice President of Public Policy and Government Relations for the Americas, Google
Carmel Martin , Executive Vice President of Policy, Center for American Progress
Featured panelists:
Ruthe Farmer, Chief Strategy and Growth Officer and Director of the K-12 Alliance, National Center for Women & Information Technology
Swetha Prabakaran, Founder and CEO, Everybody Code Now!; junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Allison Scott, Chief Research Officer, Kapor Center for Social Impact and Level Playing Institute
Cameron Wilson, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Government Affairs, Code.org
Moderated by:
Sepi Hejazi Moghadam, Head of Research and Development, K-12 Education, Google