Verizon Foundation: Innovative Learning Program Addresses Lack of Women in STEM Careers
Women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math careers (STEM) careers. The percentage of women in STEM careers has stagnated since 2001, particularly within the engineering and computing workforces where only 12 percent and 26 percent of the workforces are women. And the number of women working at tech companies is seriously low. Men make up 80 percent of the tech industry’s global workforce. Facebook’s workforce is only made up of 27 percent women, while Google’s is 31 percent.
Enter Verizon, which is addressing the need for more women in STEM careers by reaching middle-school girls through a three-week summer learning experience. The program is part of Verizon Innovative Learning, a program being piloted at five community colleges in rural areas in Iowa, Virginia, and Tennessee, in partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE). . .