Breaking Barriers in Advancing Young Women in STEM

Fairmont Preparatory Academy Is Proving to Be a Leader in Closing the Gender Gap in STEM Education

ANAHEIM, Calif., Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Women constitute roughly half of the United States workforce, yet they are notably underrepresented in the STEM –science, technology, engineering, and math – fields. The extent of this gender gap is subject to debate depending on the specific metrics analyzed. But one thing remains indisputable: there is a pressing need to pave the way for more women to thrive in STEM disciplines.

According to the National Girls Collaborative Project, a network of organizations committed to informing and encouraging girls to pursue careers in STEM, "girls/young women and boys/young men do not significantly differ in their abilities in mathematics and science, but do differ in their interest, confidence, and sense of belonging in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics [emphasis added]." 

Fairmont Preparatory Academy, voted Orange County's best private high school two years in a row, has long recognized this incongruity and has shown itself to be a leader in addressing it.

"At Fairmont Prep, we have prioritized creating an environment where females feel empowered to explore their interests and pursue high-level studies in the STEM disciplines," said Dr. Justin Voss, Director of College Counseling at the school. "This manifests itself in a variety of ways, perhaps the most impactful of which is that the majority of our STEM teachers are themselves women. For our female students, the most formative impressions about their potential in STEM occur organically because their teachers are living proof that there is ample room for them in the hard sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Representation matters."

Representation does matter – and not just in the classroom but also when it comes to leadership. Fairmont Prep has a proven record of attracting some of the country's top female STEM education leaders. Take, for example, Dr. Megha Shah, Director of the school's flagship Advanced Science and Engineering Program (ASEP), who, during her doctoral studies at the University of Southern California (EdD, Educational Leadership), studied the type of equitable representation that she, as a female science educator, is an example of.

Creating an environment that expands the reach of STEM among female students was also a priority for Jaya Leslie, who headed up ASEP until she turned over the reins to Dr. Shah upon her retirement. "When I first started working in the sciences, women had to navigate a complex landscape of social and professional barriers for the opportunity to make their mark," said Leslie. "I'm thankful that Fairmont Prep has been a leader in inspiring a new generation of young women – particularly in the disproportionately underrepresented areas of math, physics, and computer science – and helping to prepare them for success in their future endeavors."

Major universities have taken note of Fairmont's commitment to increasing female representation in STEM, according to Voss, who also serves as the counselor for ASEP students. "Institutes of higher learning that share the Prep's goal of expanding STEM opportunities for women, like CalTech, Harvey Mudd, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, actively pursue our students. And they do so not just because they recognize how prepared our students are for rigorous study, but also because of how empowered they are to make meaningful contributions in their chosen fields." 

The Prep has also received recognition from College Board, the nation's leader in college entrance testing, which awarded the school its Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science Female Diversity Award for closing the gender gap in computer science education.

"I couldn't be more proud of what Fairmont Prep has done to promote equity and inclusion in STEM," said Carolyn Lucia, Head of School at the Prep and Managing Director of Fairmont Campuses. "At the same time, this isn't surprising because Fairmont has been breaking ground in STEM education for years, as demonstrated by our Newsweek ranking as Orange County's Best Private School for STEM. I'm proud that, regardless of gender, our students thrive in an inclusive, supportive, and empowering environment where they can take advantage of the remarkable STEM opportunities here, go on to lead at college, and then make significant contributions to the science, technology, engineering, and math fields." 

ABOUT STEM AT FAIRMONT PREPARATORY ACADEMY:

Students from all over the world come to Fairmont Prep for its renowned STEM curriculum and faculty. The campus boasts three newly renovative, state-of-the-art labs where students engage in real-world, hands-on learning in biology, chemistry, and physics. Year after year, Prep students are recognized at state, national, and global STEM competitions and receive acceptances to the country's top colleges and universities.

Fairmont Preparatory Academy is now accepting applications for the 2024-25 school year. To schedule a tour, call 714-234-2741. New families who enroll by 2/29/24 with PROMO CODE: GIRLSINSTEM will have their application and registration fees waived ($625 savings).

Ready to learn more? Complete this brief form:https://bit.ly/learn_about_Fairmont.

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SOURCE Fairmont Schools