by As a doctoral student in physics, I was often the only woman in the room. When I gained more experience, I learned valuable lessons through the scientific community and how I can better advance my career. When I started to look after female doctoral students, I found that many of them also felt alienated for some scientists, an experience that had broken off their self -confidence or passion for their work.
Over two decades in which I carried out research and mentoring students, I have put together some tools that give women the power to improve their own experiences in the MINT world. In 2019 I converted these resources into an experimental course called Tools for Women. Although the course is intended for women, all genders are welcome.
There are many reasons why women are underrepresented in a stem, including bias and stereotypes, but also in the workplace and the lack of guidelines for the balance between work and life. A report by the American Association for University Women gives recommendations to improve the storage of women in MINT career: Make sure that women receive mentoring who need, support a balance between work and life and create an inviting culture.
It’s all easier to say than done. Despite the many programs and initiatives that have been carried out across the country since 2010, the percentage of women in many areas remain very low in many areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, whereby the trend, which is at best flat, remains very low. Even if they come into the field, many decide to leave.
What does the course explore?
In order to help young women to control their professional life in the STEM, I first start every student on a personal trip, starting with the contextualization of his experiences in the stem. Students think about the shammer with whom they can give the feeling that they are not good enough, even if their recording is excellent, as well as all prejudices that they may have about others. Self -confidence is an essential starting point.
The students then work on skills with real effects, from networking in meetings and on the establishment of effective relationships with mentors to negotiations, dealing with harassment and researching management roles. This is done through activities in the class and often follows the practice in their real life.
What is the course preparing the students?
Prepared for videos and papers, the students practice these skills and discuss strategies in small groups. This model offers the possibility of cooperation and assimilation and sharpening of all skills treated in the course.
Take mentoring as an example. The students practice to achieve potential mentors and build a new mentoring relationship. Through the discussion, the students learn to receive and maintain useful feedback. If the students have a safe, trusting environment, they are more inclined to try out new things.
In the last month of the course, the students effectively practice in a variety of circumstances that are characteristic of a MINT career. They focus on a kind of communication every week: scientific presentations, posters, research group meetings and public relations, all important skills in a MINT job that are not always formally taught.
We complete the course with an Outreach event “Women in Stem”, which the students themselves create and implement them completely. This event ranges from the organization of a Stem research fair, the conversation with students about bridges between Mint and Real Life and the collecting of Sticky notes by researchers about their experience in the STEM.
Sticky Notes gained doctoral students in the tools for women in the StEM course on the experiences of other researchers in the StEM area as part of the course. Filomena Nunes
When the students work together in a safe, trusting environment, they develop their own voices and profits. And the connections made during the course can continue throughout the entire graduate program.
Why is this course relevant now?
Nowadays, women in MINT have higher expectations of their workplace than the previous generations, and they are less tolerant compared to toxic environments. Courses like this can enable students to work for a better experience and to promote a healthy culture for women in the MINT.
Women are not the only group that is underrepresented in the stem. The instructions that these lessons concern these lessons on the challenges of other identity groups could help many other students to success.
Unusual courses are an occasional series from the conversation in which we highlight unconventional teaching approaches.
This article will be released from the conversation, a non -profit, independent news organization that brings you facts and trustworthy analyzes to help you understand our complex world. It was written by: Filomena Nunes, Michigan State University
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Filomena Nunes receives funds from NSF and Doe.
