How can we encourage teen girls to stick with math and science?Studies have shown for years that up until the age of about twelve, girls are at least as likely as boys to show interest in Math and Science courses. They show equal or superior skill in these areas and, when asked, will announce their desire to pursue careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. By all accounts, more than half of the scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and techies in this country should be female.
But at the magic (tragic?) age of 12, a transformation occurs. Researchers who study this phenomenon call it “The Wall”, and equate it with the “glass ceiling” that can keep women from reaching the same level as men in many corporations to this day.
