When my daughter is going to science and even nature-related things, even LEGO events, there are rarely more than maybe 1 or 2 girls, for say, every 10 boys. Wherever I go the boys seem to be quite nicely represented.
Boys are allowed in the program, so...what's the problem? They aren't being shut out or excluded. Maybe the red carpet isn't being rolled out exactly for them? Hasn't the red carpet been rolled out for them for enough thousands of years in these types of endeavors to satisfy the boys or those parents of boys who have an issue with those who specifically are encouraging girls?
Indeed. Same goes for chess camp (10% girls).
I took my DD9 to a public astrophysics lecture last week. I pointed out to her that there were a lot of kids in the audience. She responded, "yeah, but they're all boys."
At the age of 9, she's already learned that this is a field for boys. She's learned this from every direction, including her classroom teacher, the gifted teacher, the TV programs she watches, and what her friends and her friends' parents tell her.
If NASA wants to develop talent in the STEM fields, it needs to specifically target the 50% of the population with the talent that has been told repeatedly since early in life that they don't really belong. The data show the power of mentoring girls and young women with female role models.
And yes, it's legal and right.
...and I'm taking her to next week's astrophysics lecture as well. Sadly, it will be given by another man.
