can be energy- and time-consuming. But in general, they didn't appear to share in their daughter's excitement—not that they themselves needed to be interested in computing, but rather they didn't appear to share their daughter's enthusiasm in a possible career fit. When we were done talking and she shared what she had learned with them, they nodded appropriately, thanked me, and then quickly proceeded to another booth. As they moved, it almost appeared that the girl went back to a “shell-like” state, and her enthusiasm had gone away.
Another instance—again while volunteering at a girls-in-STEM event, this time geared toward young Black girls—was when I was watching one of the young girls interact with her mom. There was a break in the program, so she came over to give her mom a hug and kiss. As she ran off, the mother shook her head and said that while she loved her daughter, she was “special” for liking this sort of thing. From her tone, you could tell that she was implying something negative, as if there was something inherently wrong with her daughter having this interest. Studies have indicated that parental influence, encouragement, their own educational levels, and support are major factors in whether a student, male or female, chooses a STEM education or career. Parents who themselves have not studied STEM or are in those careers themselves may not strongly advocate or support their daughters pursuing those paths.
Even in the most supportive of households, however, parents' own feelings and attitudes on gender “norms” (behaviors and attitudes that they consider “normal” for each gender) may influence the degree of support they offer to their daughters. Parents are likelier to support their daughters doing well in their overall studies than directly suggest they pursue STEM education and careers. This may be due to their own perceptions of what they believe women can and are able to do. Parents may not realize that they are engaging in behaviors and patterns that may discourage young women.
Young Black girls who have low parental involvement, as well as less-than-ideal social and economic conditions in their homes, are even less likely to pursue STEM in college—assuming they are even able to go to college.
Primary, Middle, and High School
As girls of color begin school, the number who sustain an interest in STEM may continue to drop. On top of low parental involvement and support, girls in general may not be actively encouraged by their friends, teachers, or school faculty to take STEM classes or participate in STEM after-school activities.
This assumes that STEM classes and activities are even offered in their school or local community. Although as a society it seems we've placed a premium on STEM education, there are still many places in the United States that are “STEM deserts” or a lack of schools that offer STEM education that prepares students for college-level work and careers. According to Education Week, STEM deserts are likelier to exist in high-poverty schools (schools where 75 percent or more of the students are eligible for free lunch and breakfast). Almost half of these schools have large Black and Hispanic populations.
This lack of encouragement and access can lead girls to form and hold limiting, confidence-destroying beliefs that these subjects are too hard for them or not meant for them.
For the girls who do stay in STEM classes, they may be picked on or bullied by their male peers—and their teachers. Teachers' own gender and/or racial biases may creep in during classroom lessons, causing them to call on girls less to answer questions in class or even belittle them in front of other students. Bullying or mean behavior from both teachers and peers can compound any doubts and fears girls may have about their abilities.
In my seventh-grade algebra class, I remember getting back an exam from the teacher, where I received 98 out of 100 points. Written next to the score was not a “Great job” or something similar—it was the word “Careless” in very big red letters.
After class, I asked what I had been “careless” about. The teacher commented that I had forgotten to add a negative sign in my answer to one of the equations, in which he took away two points from my overall grade. He continued to say that I needed to not make such careless mistakes if I want to be “any good at math” and that I should review my work more closely.
I was surprised and crushed. I thought 98 was a pretty good score, especially since algebra (and mathematics in general) was a subject where I needed more help and study time with than other subjects. I was proud of myself, as I really worked hard to do well on that exam, and yet when I left the classroom, I didn't feel good at all.
At home, parents or guardians who don't quite grasp the subject matter, or find the value in it, may not offer meaningful or constructive help when needed. Many parents have reported that they have difficulty helping their children with homework, especially in math and science subjects. Although some may have the means to hire tutors or put their children in remedial courses, many may not. For households that are economically disadvantaged, tutoring is a luxury they cannot afford.
Parents may not be aware of free educational resources that can help their children, or they may not know where or how to locate these resources. For one-parent households, parents juggling multiple jobs, or parents supporting other aging or ill family members (often situations present in households of color), there may be a lack of both money and time. Students may try to find or put together solutions on their own to get the help they need or, because they have lack of guidance, may not get any help at all.
College
As young women of color get ready to attend college, they are often at a financial, academic, and general support disadvantage compared to their white peers.
Despite the belief that there are many scholarships for students of color, they are hard to get and are not a given, as there could be hundreds of qualified applicants that a scholarship committee can choose from and they often require copies of academic transcripts, recommendations, minimum test scores on the SAT or ACT, and essays for consideration. Pulling together an application for just one scholarship can be very time-consuming (remember, they still have to go to class and apply to colleges, too), and the expense of transcript fees can add up.
In addition, students of color receive less private scholarship money overall than their white peers. Per a 2011 study published by the popular financial aid websites Fastweb and FinAid.org, although white students represented only 62 percent of the overall population of American colleges and universities, they received 76 percent of the overall private merit institutional aid and grants. This is likely since white students may satisfy GPA requirements, as well as participate in extracurricular activities that are of interest to sponsors, versus students of color. While colleges and universities do have need-based financial aid programs that include grants, college aid officers may include a significant number of loans to offset the costs.
Speaking of loans, while many students are eligible for lower-cost federal loans, most young women of color may have one or more part-time jobs to subsidize both their education and their basic needs, as federal-loan funding is limited, and they may not be able to obtain private student loans or rely on relatives. In a study by the National Association of Education Statistics, 85 percent of Black and American Indian/Alaska Native students and 80 percent of Hispanic students received any type of grant. Additionally, 72 percent of Black students received any type of loan—more than any other racial group.
Academically, young women of color may not be adequately prepared for the rigor of some foundational college courses. As mentioned earlier, many US public schools lack college prep–level STEM courses, increasing the likelihood that young women of color haven't gained the knowledge and skills needed to prepare them for college-level courses, let alone courses in STEM.
Coupling this with a professor's biases, a lack of meaningful support at home or within their community,
