Stage
High School
Key Obstacle
Lack of Perceived Fit
Goals
Change boy’s biases and girls’ perceived fit into STEM to change behaviour.
ProjectPRISM
Promoting rising inclusion and STEM motivation
How can we make STEM a more attractive and meaningful option for adolescent girls and boys alike? Project PRISM will establish best practices for boosting girls’ belonging in STEM, while bolstering boys’ respect for girls’ abilities.
The Problem
During Grades 7-9, adolescents begin to form their adult identity and choose pursuits that fit their values and self-beliefs. Some girls never consider STEM careers because they see science and technology as a poor fit to their personal values. Others feel unwelcome by peers who fail to acknowledge, validate, or respect their abilities. Either obstacle can inhibit girls from developing STEM as a core identity and taking advanced math and science coursework.
Our Approach / Goals
To combat obstacles girls may face in pursuing a STEM career, Project PRISM will test interventions that: (1) change boys’ beliefs about girls via implicit bias training and presenting real evidence that test scores underestimate girls’ abilities, (2) expose girls to successful role models who share their values and preferences, and (3) encourage girls to identify with STEM by recognizing that a STEM career can help them accomplish some of their most cherished goals.
In partnership with Actua, a non-profit umbrella organization that supports summer science camps across Canada, Project PRISM will test the long-term benefits of interventions delivered to students in Grades 7-9 during a week-long science camp. Students in the PRISM workshops will be compared to other students who participate in the same camp programs during weeks without our interventions.
Photo Credit: Geering Up
Key Leaders
Steve Spencer PhD
Professor of Psychology, University of Waterloo; Robert K. and Dale J. Weary Chair in Social Psychology, Ohio State UniversityRead Bio
The Team
The Project PRISM team combines expertise in the science of implicit gender bias, bias reduction, intergroup contact, and STEM outreach.
Ariana Hernandez-Colmenares BA
Graduate Student, The Ohio State Universityhernandez-colmenares.1@osu.edu
Angie Minah Park PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Management, University of Toronto Mississauga and the Gender and the Economy (GATE) Institute, Rotman School of Managementangie.park@mail.utoronto.caRead Bio
Lesley Shannon PhD
NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (BC/Yukon); Professor, School of Engineering Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityRead Bio
Sheryl Staub-French PhD
Professor of Civil Engineering, and Associate Dean of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Faculty of Applied Science, University of British ColumbiaRead Bio
Project Partners
Project PRISM proudly partners with University of Waterloo, University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the Ontario Network for Women in Engineering (ONWiE), Engineering Science Quest (ESQ), Geering UP, Actua, Science World, Engineers Canada, Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, PCL Construction, Canadian Institute of Mining (CIM), the Engineering Change Lab, the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology (SCWIST), and the National Network of NSERC Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering.
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