AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN – WHC

Our goal is to build critical thinkers and problem solvers of the next generation.
– Rose Ennis President

“Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” – Einstein

• Growing Roses and Creating Rivets
• Growing mentors for teachers for K-5 CS Education

This group started in 2011 as an action research group to brainstorm why there are so few Women in Stem.  Goal was to expand what our 27 years of Expanding Your Horizons Conferences provided to break the barriers for girls in STEM connected careers. Title IX equitable access to CS education is growing exponentially. AAUW now supports Tech Tek.

• In Year One we read the AAUW Book, “Why So Few” and imagined what we could do to implement solutions in the Houston area. The book and other details are located at www.aauw.org/research/why-so-few.
• Next we discussed the “Mindset, the New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck to bring about a growth-mind set. In 2013 we were talking about the problem and still are – Listen to Science Friday and the STEM Gender Gap. We need role models in schools sharing hands-on activities connected to STEM professions. Can you help Solve the problem for Women in CS and Engineering?
• Each year we explored more ideas from the Hidden Figures Book study, field trips, and the Master Class about Jane Goodall.

Advocacy ideas:

• Research from AAUW Why So Few Women in STEM fields shows lack of Spatial Reasoning a major factor. Yet, teachers rarely have the time to support the hands-on projects needed to build spatial reasoning in public schools.
• In Texas Spatial Reason has been removed in the math TEKS as a major area of study in elementary schools, personal finance was added. Will this increase the gender gap? Instead of talking about generalities in education reform, we need to address this major problem.

In the past we supported the participants in the Expanding Your Horizons Conference to continue learning beyond this powerful day of hands-on presentations by professionals in the field.  The focus ideas from the first meeting produced our helping hand.

Helping Hand Ideas – STEM Scaling

Our book study continues on “Hidden Figures” to find hidden ideas to scale WISE schools.  After watching the movie, twice for some of us, we decided this would be a great feature showing for the next year.  Pictured are other books on the topic of scaling women in computer science.  See article on Hidden Figures.

Please join us Oct. 30th for wine, cheese and conversation. We will continue our book study on “Hidden Figures” to scale WISE ideas in schools. Teachers are role models, idea makers, and explorers searching to find hidden figures in every classroom. They can bridge the classroom with the real world by enhancing their lessons with local business leaders like our presenters at EYH. Please share your tricks, treats, and ideas on how to expand the inspiration that our conference starts. Tweet #aauwwsf for how to get involved.

What was most memorable about “Hidden Figures” from NCWIT?

Did you know?

CSforAll – Our Modern Day Space Race

Discussion Question Ideas:

1. What was most memorable from the first chapters in the book?
2. What are Hidden Figures?
3. Do you know any?
4. How do you find them?
5. What ideas do you have to help find Hidden Figures in your local schools?
6. Can you tweet your thoughts to #AAUWWSF ?

Scaling Ideas:

• Hope $200 Million from White House and $300 Million from businesses go to support finding Hidden Figures.
• Join the NCWIT Aspirations Leadership Team: tinyurl.com/NCWITHouston

Hidden Figure Role Models:

• MIT’s CS and Poet

Teacher Resources

• Teacher Worksheet with math connections

On December 1st at the Spring Branch Memorial Library, AAUW-WHC branch members will be honored with a proclamation from the mayor for computer science education week. The branch received the proclamation at the TACSE meeting during the Grace Hopper Conference in Houston where 12,000 computing women from around the world attended. See the proclamation and learn more at CS Ed Week.

Please celebrate the Hour of Code in your communities. See https://hourofcode.com/us to learn how to do it. Or join us at the celebration where you can learn to be a CODE BUDDY. See the flyer: Hour Code SBM Library Sponsored by AAUW-WHC.

As a result of this outreach the message of needing code buddies to help teachers in activity centers is growing.  See Hour of Code photos here.

Launch Party March 26th 1:00 for the new Why So Few Report, Solving the Equation: The Variables for Women’s Success in Engineering and Computing. Seven WISE innovators participated, but you can watch the recording @ aauw.org/event/2015/03/stream-the-solving-the-equation-launch-live. A follow-up webinar was held in April.

AAUW Wise group will be debriefing the EYH Conference to brainstorm next steps to scale STEM outreach in Houston. If you have any ideas, let us know. Contact information to come to the party or learn about the AAUW Expanding Your Horizons Conference at www.eyhhouston.org.

Why So Few? Women In Stem
Our AAUW Research Action group has discussed “Why So Few? Women In STEM” and “Mindset” by Dweck. This research has progressed to a name change to WISE. Our West Harris County AAUW activity group will focus on bringing together Women In STEM to Entertain, Enrich and Educate our communities.

We are engaging together to build a growth mindset to learning anything.

“Logic will get you from A to B.  Imagination will take you everywhere.” –  Einstein

WSF is an action research group to go beyond EYH and break the barriers for girls in STEM connected careers.  In Year One we read the AAUW Book, “Why So Few” and imagined what we could do to implement solutions in the Houston area.

The book and other details are located at www.aauw.org/research/why-so-few. We are currently reading “Mindset, the New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck to bring about a growth-mind set. In 2013 we are still talking about the problem – Listen to Science Friday and the STEM Gender Gap. We need role models in schools sharing hands-on activities connected to STEM professions. Can you help?

#GASS

Sent to candidates who make laws:
• Research from AAUW Why So Few Women in STEM fields shows lack of Spatial Reasoning a major factor. Yet, teachers rarely have the time to support the hands-on projects needed to build spatial reasoning in public schools.
• In Texas Spatial Reason has been removed in the math TEKS as a major area of study in elementary schools, personal finance was added. Will this increase the gender gap? Instead of talking about generalities in education reform, we need to address this major problem.

We would like to support the participants in the Expanding Your Horizons Conference to continue learning beyond this powerful day of hands-on presentations by professionals in the field. This forum is for those concerned about education, and who just want to talk and think together.   The focus ideas from the first meeting produced our helping hand.

Helping Hand Ideas – STEM Scaling