THE NEED or What’s in a Name?
The name, For Girls and Tomorrow’s America, contains, by intent, both a statement of need and the tone of a call – a call to act on that need. This is in response to the realities of the 21st century world – realities which are cause for concern for the country on at least two fronts.
Globalization and global competition is happening on an unprecedented scale and at an accelerating rate. This phenomenon is manifesting itself in both education and industry. Education standards and levels are rising dramatically in what were once under-developed countries like China and India and elsewhere. Consequently, young people in America are faced with stronger and stronger competition in the work world, and opportunities once open to them are diminishing rapidly as more and more work goes overseas to better prepared and motivated workers. This reality will have particular impact on girls who have traditionally faced barriers in the increasingly important fields of mathematics, science and technology (MST), barriers not encountered by their male counterparts. Reinforcing this is the often self-imposed notion that these subject areas don’t come ‘naturally’ or as easily to girls as they do to boys. This biased notion often discourages girls from ever developing an interest in MST or even trying to enter these fields. Thus, the opportunities for girls in particular are further diminished, having greater possible consequence in the face of global competition.
This phenomenon in turn contributes to the country’s receding position and leadership in the world, not only in MST, but in economic and standard of living terms overall. Hence the call to focus more attention and resource on inspiring girls to pursue educations and careers in these ever critical fields, fields which have a pervasive importance in the twenty-first century world. In a very real way then, the country is better by virtue of what girls can achieve for themselves and for their country as a whole as a result.
WHY MST?
Experts agree that the quality of life, and life itself throughout the world, is increasingly and inseparably dependent on mankind’s knowledge and expertise in mathematics, science and technology. To a greater and greater degree, human activity is dependent on – and determined by - MST. At the same time, problems related to population growth, resource destruction and depletion, and the ecology and environment are adding to the urgency of the need for well educated young people in various areas of MST to address these critical and growing problems. Many countries around the world are demonstrating their willingness and ability to rise to the challenges facing the world, and are assuming more of a leading position in various key areas, while that of America is showing signs of diminishing. Given that girls in the US are pursuing higher educations at higher rates than boys, and often out perform boys academically, they have shown themselves to be a vast resource, yet one that to date is under-represented and under-achieved in MST fields. Their advancement and achievement in these key fields can make a strong positive difference in maintaining and advancing the country as a real leader in solving and avoiding pressing global problems.
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