Building a group of colleagues able to advance the cause, and collaborate through project development and dissemination is a goal of this site. You will find a plethora of resources for students, counselors, educators, and parents who are seeking and promoting STEM careers.

The fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are widely regarded as critical to the state and national economy, but women remain significantly underrepresented within these disciplines. Despite decades of progress in higher education and the workplace, gender bias in STEM fields inhibits many talented women and girls from entering STEM careers, and in the end, this keeps the United States from meeting the technical-skills demand of the future and from remaining economically competitive in the world.

MMEP is a multi-sector collaborative, dedicated to having educators, public officials, philanthropists, business people, nonprofits, students and parents at the table. MMEP focuses its work on kindergarten through postsecondary education and promotes a continuum of support at all levels. MMEP is a multicultural organization dedicated to having the diversity of Minnesota communities represented in all components of the organization. MMEP's financing structure requires that one third of its core operating budget come from membership fees, one third come from a state appropriation and one third come from grants. The Implementation Working Group has the ability to adjust the work plan of the organization whenever it is necessary to assure appropriate advocacy and programming on behalf of Minnesota communities of color. The work of MMEP is as dedicated to the process of collaboration as it is to its programs/products.

"The American Civil Liberties Union recently began sending out "cease and desist" letters to individual schools and districts to halt single-sex programs that the legal advocacy group suggests may violate federal and state laws."

Girls in science and other STEM subjects - technology, engineering, and mathematics - are underrepresented compared to boys despite the progress made in the 40 years since Title IX was signed into law.

Through the Global Gender Gap Report series, the World Economic Forum has been quantifying the magnitude of gender-based disparities and tracking their progress over time. By providing a comprehensive framework for benchmarking global gender gaps, the Report reveals those countries that are role models in dividing their resources equitably between women and men, regardless of the overall level of those resources. The Report is used by numerous universities, schools, researchers, media entities, businesses, governments and individuals as a tool for their work.

"Gender equity does not exist in business, in academics, or athletics. One other place it does not exist is in children's literature. In part, the inequity in the literature is one of invisibility-fewer female than male protagonists are represented in books written for children. Additionally, few of those young female protagonists are strong enough of mind, body, or will to serve as positive role models for girls both in and out of our classrooms. Another facet of the inequity in literature is that many characters are not shown as multi-dimensional human beings with strengths as well as weaknesses. Instead, both males and females display behavior and traits which reflect stereotypical roles, responsibilities, and expectations. Although there may be segments of our society which are redefining gender roles, the female and male characters children read about are often locked into traditional jobs and behaviors. As teachers and adults who work with children, we advocate wide reading of good literature as one way for children to have vicarious experiences in which they can identify with strong characters across a wide range of human experiences which cross traditional gender boundaries. But . . . if children's books and the characters in them remain gender-bound, the ideas which might cause children to develop expectations for the future, responses to life's events, and stances on issues may also remain stereotypically gender-bound. We must all search for books which will initiate conversations and questions about gender roles and the perceptions of appropriate behavior and activities. Through these conversations and questions, teachers and other caring adults can be instrumental in helping the students reflect on gender expectations, reflection that can lead to appreciation and implementation of gender fairness and equity. Although we need to share books which validate the present experiences of the readers' lives, we also need to challenge those experiences by show

Despite remarkable progress along many indicators of equitable access, participation, and outcomes of schooling, there are still persistent, pervasive issues that must be addresses, including continued disparities in access to athletics and academic programs, sexual harassment, hate crimes, and discriminatory treatment of girls and women. This What Matters brief includes strategies for: * Achieving gender equity in access and opportunities to learn * Achieving a gender-balanced curriculum * Achieving gender-equity in interpersonal relations with/between students * Achieving gender-equity in discipline patterns

Federal law prohibits sex discrimination in schools, yet inequities remain. For examples, teachers often treat boys and girls differently when it is not appropriate to do so. Other issues include limiting access or dissuading girls from participating in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) courses, over-representation of boys in disciplinary actions, and the impact of stereotyping on access and inclusion. Frances Guzmán, M.Ed., an IDRA education associate, discusses where gender inequities tend to show up in classrooms and how educators can make changes to ensure equity for girls and boys. Frances is interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., director of the IDRA Texas Parent Information and Resource Center.

"This list includes more than 100 ways for you to break gender barriers."

"Language plays a central role in the way human beings behave and think. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is concerned about the critical role language plays in promoting fair treatment of women and girls, men and boys. Through careful selection of gender-fair language, NCTE members have the opportunity to influence thought and behavior both directly and indirectly. These guidelines offer suggestions for language use that will open rather than close possibilities and that speakers and writers should consider when engaged in communication activities that include: writing papers and publications preparing handouts and materials designing and delivering oral presentations speaking with students, parents, and community members working with students developing curriculum selecting texts and media exploring language use in classrooms serving on local, regional, and national committees "

Established in 1983, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center has grown to become the largest LGBT multi-service organization on the East Coast and second largest LGBT community center in the world. Every week, 6,000 people visit the Center, and more than 300 groups meet here. In addition, our myriad meeting rooms are booked months in advance, indicating the community is as hungry as ever for a place to call its own. We provide groundbreaking social service, public policy, educational and cultural/recreational programs. We also serve as an incubator for grassroots groups that meet here. Indeed, we were the birthplace of organizations such as the AIDS activist group ACT UP and the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the principal organization combating homophobia and stereotyping of gays in the media.

Transgender Basics is a 20 minute educational film on the concepts of gender and transgender people. Two providers from the Gender Identity Project discuss basic concepts of gender, sexual orientation, identity and gender roles. Three transgender community members share their personal experiences of being trans and genderqueer. The film targets service providers and others working with the LGBT community, but it also provides a fascinating glimpse into gender and identity for the general public. "Our culture likes to make things simple, and gender isn't." Carrie Davis, Transgender Community Organizer, in Transgender Basics. "It was the constant fight of me saying 'there is nothing wrong with being this kind of girl,' as oppose to, 'well, I'm not a girl.'" Nicco Beretta, participant in Transgender Basics. For more information contact the Gender Identity Project at 212 620 7310 or at www.gaycenter.org

New studies find that female students are performing better in school than their male counterparts. Are the boys falling behind, or are the girls just excelling? What is causing the trend? Host Patty Satalia and a group of experts discuss these questions.

The effort to provide an equitable education to all students has led to extensive research on the effects of racial and ethnic differences, and of gender, on access, learning, and achievement. It has also led to great debate about which student population has been most shortchanged, with the argument about gender inequities perhaps most fierce. The impact of ethnicity on gender differences had been only minimally considered by researchers, however, until the Educational Testing Service (ETS) began looking at the topic several years ago, first with a study on test taking (Willingham & Cole, 1997) and now with a report on a variety of education and employment measures (Coley, 2001). The ETS publications, while demonstrating generally that there are "more similarities than variations in gender differences among racial/ethnic groups" (Coley, 2001, p. 3) present statistics showing some interesting twists in the way the differences are manifested. They also raise some questions about educational equity that transcend the issue of gender fairness. Thus, as part of an ERIC Clearinghouse on Urban Education series consisting of facts about specific student groups, this digest presents highlights from the education findings in Richard Coley's Differences in the Gender Gap: Comparisons Across Racial/Ethnic Groups in Education and Work.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) is a nationwide network of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and 600 college/university institution partners. For 130 years, AAUW members have examined and taken positions on the fundamental issues of the day - educational, social, economic, and political. Our commitment to our mission is reflected in all aspects of our work. AAUW's Mission AAUW advances equity for women and girls through advocacy, education, philanthropy, and research. AAUW's Value Promise By joining AAUW, you belong to a community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.

Despite inroads made toward improving gender equality, children continue to be socially and academically disadvantaged due to gender inequality. This month, a special online edition of Our Children is calling attention to the ways attitudes toward gender may negatively affect girls and boys, and how schools and parents can ensure that all children reach their full potential.

I EXercise My Rights is a public service, informational campaign designed to educate the public about Title IX. Simply stated: Title IX is a law passed in 1972 that requires gender equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives federal funding. Many people have never heard of Title IX. Most people who know about Title IX think it applies only to sports, but athletics is only one of 10 key areas addressed by the law. These areas are: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science, Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology. Since Title IX was passed 35 years ago, it has been the subject of over 20 proposed amendments, reviews, Supreme Court cases and other political actions. That's why we call it a living, breathing law. It is puzzling why there have been so many attempts to change Title IX since the intent of the law (gender equity) has not been met. Thousands of schools across the country are not in compliance with the law. This website explains the regulations in easy-to-understand language and uses real case studies as examples. In addition, it provides ways to find out about Title IX in your local community, links to many governmental and educational organizations for more detailed information and an easy-to-use e-mail system whereby you can contact the Secretary of Education in Washington, D.C. about Title IX.

Deciding to Teach Them All

Inequity in education has many causes and correlates, but one important element is often left out. Racism is hard to discuss and its devastating effects hard to understand, but there are ways to begin the conversation and start the healing.