Study Shows High Interest by Girls in STEM Careers

The recently-released "Generation STEM" report from the Girl Scout Research Institute shows that 74 percent of girls are interested in STEM subjects, and 82 percent see themselves as "smart enough" to have a career in them; conversely, only 13 percent say that they would choose to pursue such a career.  Some cite factors such as the "glass ceiling,"  requiring them to work harder than men in the profession in order to be taken seriously.  Girl Scouts has undertaken a number of initiatives to help spur STEM achievement by its members, using such things as the AT&T Imagine grant for funding.  http://blog.al.com/huntsville-times-business/2012/02/girl_scouts_help_increase_inte.html

In a related vein, Thomas Landers in NewsOK writes that recent studies show that early exposure and encouragement in STEM fields can double career interest in those areas.  http://newsok.com/early-motivation-leads-to-success-in-stem/article/3650967