There has been considerable hand-wringing of late about the dismal state of science and technology education in America’s public schools and the performance — or lack thereof — of our students in relation to other children around the world.
The disciplines collectively known as STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — have been a lightning rod for attention from educators, legislators and even President Obama himself, who in 2010 launched an initiative led by the top executives of major U.S. corporations to improve education in these areas and restore America as a leader in innovation and global competition.
As the father of two daughters, the president does have cause for concern. Studies indicate that girls start tuning out math and science in middle school. According to a New York Times article, women earn only about 40 percent of the bachelor’s degrees in the physical sciences and math. In engineering and computer science, the drop is even more dramatic: women earn only 17 to 18 percent of the bachelor’s degrees in those fields.
It’s dismal numbers like these that give good reason to cheer when girls knock it out of the park, especially in areas where boys seem to have gained higher ground in recent years. Robotics is one of those areas, but that is changing, thanks in part to girls like Elisa Vera and Aana Bansal of West Windsor, who will be competing this month at the New Jersey State Championships in robotics.
Vera is a junior and Bansal is a sophomore at Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, which has recently launched an initiative to help close the so-called girl gap in the STEM disciplines with the guidance of a task force composed of some of the nation’s leading scientists and thinkers. While Vera has been at Stuart since preschool, Bansal came up through the WW-P school system — Dutch Neck, Village, and Community Middle School, where she competed on the award-winning Science Olympiad team — before starting at Stuart as a freshman last year.
As members of the all-girl rookie robotics team called Sparks, Vera and Bansal had to design and engineer a robot with the strength and agility to maneuver on its own to earn a spot in the state competition. On the eve of their competition, I asked them how they became interested in robotics and what advice they might offer to help improve STEM education for girls.
Suburban Mom: Tell me briefly about your project and what has been the best/most exciting thing about seeing your robot “come to life.”
Bansal: The first time we got Sparky to move was on the morning of our first competition. From there it was rapid fire programming and we went on to win the award for most impressive new team. The whole experience was exhilarating. Seeing something we put together from scratch move on its own — something that started out as just a heap of metal and wires — was the most rewarding feeling ever.
SM: Tell me how you became interested in robotics, especially since many people think of this as a largely male domain.
Vera: I think people talk too much about things like male domain and female domain and gender roles that don’t truly exist because people vary way too much mentally. Unique potential is ruined when people impose roles on other groups of people. I just like to problem solve and one of the most satisfying ways to do that is through engineering and building things.
SM: What do your parents do? Are they scientists? Have they done anything to help you enjoy science/technology?
Bansal: My mom’s a stay-at-home mom. My dad works in information technology, specifically systems architecture. He has taught me the importance of hard work, dedication, and creativity. I think my interest in science stems from my experience on my middle school Science Olympiad team. Each day I would look forward to going to practice and learning about how everything worked- from a cell to the sun. That’s when I realized that I loved science.
Vera: My mom works with the alumni at Princeton University and my dad is a banker. I was one of those curious kids who loved to ask questions about everything. I also had and still have a fascination with insects and nature. Curiosity and a desire to understand the world led to my interest in science.
SM: What are your favorite courses at school?
Vera: My favorite classes are AP biology and AP chemistry.
Bansal: Biology has always been my favorite subject because it can be applied in so many ways to save lives. I’ve also taken chemistry and some programming courses but surprisingly, this year my favorite subject is U.S. history. I also really like math because you get to play around with numbers and discover patterns that explain how everything fits together, and it’s the language of science.
SM: Why do you think it’s important for American students — especially girls and young women — to be knowledgeable about the STEM disciplines?
Vera: The essence of STEM is problem solving and promoting. That theme is present in almost every single job and business in the world. It’s also just fun to do and helps to gain an appreciation for all those little trinkets and machines that make our lives easier.
Bansal: Science and technology are coming to play a central role in our everyday lives. Banking, shopping, communication, research; it’s all becoming virtual. Being adept with technology is no longer “a nice skill to have.” It’s essential. It’s also the key to progress. Advancements in the STEM fields are being made faster than ever before, and these advancements are improving, even saving lives. I think everyone, including girls, should be knowledgeable about these advancements so that one day they might be able to further them.
SM: What do you want to be when you “grow up?”
Vera: I would love to do research in biochemical and more specifically genetic engineering.
Bansal: I want to do bio-medical research and hopefully design more affordable treatments for diseases that have disappeared from the headlines but still kill thousands in impoverished countries. Recently, medical research has been incorporating other STEM fields with advancements being made in bio-technology and computer-generated models so I’m sure my experiences from robotics will be really helpful.
SM: Do you have any advice for parents of girls who want to steer them to STEM?
Bansal: I don’t think parents should try to “steer” their daughters to STEM. They should provide them with the opportunities to explore STEM fields and provide support if they choose to pursue them, but making them sit down and read a physics textbook isn’t going to get very far and would probably just create resentment.
Vera: Let your female child chase frogs and snakes and explore the woods. Raise your children to appreciate their own potential and give them the space to do so. Also make sure they know that enrichment programs exist if they don’t have one at school. Children will pursue their interests as long as they feel they have support from their families and communities. Raise a thoughtful and intelligent girl who can think for herself and has ambition.
Watching some science channel wouldn’t hurt either.
