Barnard’s president on how to develop STEM-confident girls at home.
Preview:
My 6-year-old daughter, who is entering first grade, has a tendency to point out that certain activities are most suited for boys or girls. “The girls like the dolls,” she tells me, “and the boys like the trucks.”
I’m a cognitive scientist and the new president of Barnard College, a private women’s college associated with Columbia University, whose mission is to address issues of gender and equip young women with the tools to succeed in any endeavor they pursue. So you can imagine how my daughter’s gendered commentary worries me. If she’s talking about playing with trucks as a boys-only activity today, what will come next — math, science, technology?
Originally published: September 5, 2017
Author: Sian Beilock
Position: President
Institution: Barnard College
Published by: The Washington Post