There’s so much I like about Verizon’s new “Inspire Her Mind” commercial (seen below and here), but something about it left me feeling unsettled.
Verizon’s focus on encouraging more girls to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) is noble, and I absolutely applaud that.
But something didn’t sit right.
After watching it a few times, and trying to pinpoint the source of my unease, I settled on this:
It’s working from a deficit model.
The soundbites from the unseen parents to their precocious “Samantha” are apparently all the things you should never say if you value your daughter’s mind.
Certainly the commercial gives good food for thought. Renown scientist, Neil Degrasse Tyson has said that, based on his own experiences, he believes we lack female and minority scientists because of the resistance from others in their attitudes, expectations, and comments. And I can certainly relate as a woman to getting a dismissive response to unique ambitions or to being told to “act a little less smart” if I ever wanted to get married.
But I think the unsettled feeling came from seeing a list of things NOT to say.
I’m uncomfortable the idea of parents wrestling over every word choice. I cringe at the notion that we shouldn’t tell our daughters they’re pretty (find a great post on that here….from someone who, unlike me, actually has daughters) lest they should surmise from those kind words that they are not also smart. And while there’s absolutely a place for messy exploration — a really, really big place — there are also moments when you can set boundaries or ask kids to be careful (say, with glitter in their bedrooms, for example) and not stunt their genius.
Ultimately, it isn’t an avoidance of certain words and phrases that will promote a passion for STEM in our kids, but the positive promotion of certain experiences and attitudes.
Here are a few suggestions for what we SHOULD do, to inspire kids’ minds and help more girls (and boys) to become passionate about STEM subjects.
Watch What We Say.
(Seems to contradict what I just said, but wait!) We do need to be aware of our words, but in my opinion it isn’t just how we talk about girls and STEM, but about STEM subjects themselves. Attitudes are contagious, and I’ve heard far too many parents and teachers make comments like, “I always hated math.” or “Ugh. Math homework?”
And then we’re surprised when kids adopt the same perspective?
Kids need to see and hear us excited about STEM subjects. We do need to watch what we say….what we say about math and science, not just what we say about girls.
Keep the Excitement in the Evolution
The commercial cites that 66% of 4th grade girls say they like science and math, but only 18% of college engineering majors are female. So what happens in those in-between years? Not just the comments about power tools and glitter, but what happens in those subjects during those years?
For some kids, the transition from elementary math and science to high school math and science accompanies a shift from exciting hands-on subjects to “the hard subjects”. In many early elementary classrooms, science time means getting your hands dirty, asking questions, and doing experiments. But as kids get older, science evolves in some classes to mean more text and more tests.
Keep curiosity, wonder, and hands-on applications woven into the STEM classes and experiences and you’ll continue to have kids who are riveted.
Teach Them to Be Gritty
In that same vein, we need kids who are gritty. Kids who will stick with challenges, because STEM subjects are all about taking challenges head on.
I was recently introduced to the work of Angela Lee Duckworth. (Check out her TED talk here.) Her research shows that it’s not actually a student’s academic ability that predicts success, but their grit: tenacity and perseverance. It’s related to the growth mindset theories put forth by Carol Dweck, which I wrote about in the Mind in the Making Read Along Series.
Kids don’t need to know they’re smart as much as they need to know they can learn.
They don’t need to know they’re successful as much as they need to know they can succeed.
So while proficiency in academic subjects like math and science are certainly necessary for expanding our field of STEM professionals, it’s equally necessary that they are proficient in critical mindsets and social-emotional capacities like grit and resilience.
Provide Mentors and Meaning
Kids won’t become passionate about something they’ve never seen or heard about. They need to see real world examples of STEM concepts and STEM professional in action.
Take field trips, watch cool videos, go to museums, do projects. Talk to real professionals, watch interviews, and read kids’ books about STEM history-makers. Don’t limit it to women, but be sure to include plenty! Trailblazers like Sally Ride, Marie Curie, Jocelyn Burnell, and Rosalind Franklin as well as current professionals — maybe even one in your family or on your street!
Kids won’t get excited about STEM because you tell them to. They’ll get excited about it because they’ve seen it in action and can’t help but be a part of it.
Ask Questions. Encourage More Questions.
Questions are at the heart of STEM. So teach kids to ask questions. Find answers together and then ask some more! Need some grease to get your wheels turning? Here are some fantastic reads:
“Why, Why, Why?” Embracing and Encouraging Curiosity {Simple Kids}
We Only Think When Confronted with a Problem {TinkerLab}
15 Questions that Spark Creative Thought {Creative with Kids}
Be aware of the Way You Talk and how it engenders discussion and inquiry. Research tells us that early conversation patterns may be one of the largest predictors of success for years to come!
Discuss, wonder, ask, critique, and share together– with boys AND girls — and you’re continuing on the path that every one of the world’s greatest minds would find familiar!
I suppose all that would have been hard to fit into a 62 second commercial. With those parameters, one barely has time to start a conversation.
So it looks like that’s exactly what Verizon’s done.
And for that, I’m grateful.
The deficit model makes me think of the ban bossy campaign that didn’t sit right with me for similar reasons. Maybe also because I chose to embrace my bossy :). But I love your focus on promoting the right kind of attitudes and experiences.
I found this article to be a great way to think about encouraging our little girls. My purpose is to empower and inspire women to become engineers and to enjoy their careers once they are there. I am also a mom to a little girl. I often worry about what is the right thing to say to her. I tell her she is pretty and smart. She loves to learn and I want to keep that fire in her. Thanks for great words of wisdom on this!