According to the National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics women comprise 35 percent of the STEM workforce. While this is a considerable increase from a few decades ago, the number is still pretty low overall. Efforts to promote STEM interests in girls aren’t new. However, success hinges on maintaining that interest throughout their academic career.
A 2017 study from Microsoft found that girls typically start to show interest in STEM subjects around age 11, but by age 15, that interest drops sharply. There are many reasons for this decline, including cultural stereotypes around gender and unequal access to exposure and opportunity.
Still, one of the strongest ways to combat these challenges is through connection. Taking concepts and applying them to real-world actions, translating interests and hobbies into career paths, and introducing students to women working in these fields — these are the kinds of things that not only create interest in STEM but keep it alive.
For the Conyers-based organization Inspiring Greatness in You, that connection is golf. The nonprofit takes the greatest game ever played and uses it as a gateway to demonstrate STEM concepts in action and explore STEM careers within the golf industry, all while teaching girls the personal lessons of sportsmanship and fostering a love of the game.
From Concept to Action
Hands-on learning is crucial for knowledge retention and creating a deeper understanding of the subject matter. And when you apply hands-on learning through an interest, like a sport, it becomes ten times more effective.
Golf is an excellent example of STEM at work. Every element, from the swing of the club to the trajectory of the ball, even the height of the green, can be tied back to lessons in math and science. And when girls play, they can see these concepts at work in every stroke and experience how their play changes the outcomes. Not only does this reinforce their learning, but it also enables them to think critically about how they play.
From Interest to Profession
One of the greatest obstacles students face when planning a career is visualizing what that career would look like. This is especially true for students interested in STEM, which covers a broad range of subjects and industries.
Golf is a multi-billion-dollar industry with dozens of career paths outside of being a professional player. Inspiring Greatness demonstrates the possibilities beyond the green by introducing them to female professionals in the golf industry who make the game possible, such as course architects, club engineers, and sports apparel designers. The girls get an in-depth, and sometimes hands-on, look at what these careers do and see that they can maintain a job that is still linked to a sport they love.
Recently, they went behind the scenes at Parsons Xtreme Golf (PXG) in Buckhead to learn about the science and tech that goes into creating custom-fit golf clubs. Not only did students get hands-on with cutting-edge simulation technology, but they also got to hear from some of PXG’s female store team members and custom club fitters on a career path forward with golf as a guiding light.
Whether girls play golf for the game or the love of science, there is a world of possibilities that come from stepping on the green.
