Wisconsin is one of five states selected to participate in the STEM Equity Pipeline Project. It's aimed at drawing more minorities, students with disabilities and females in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Morna Foy, Executive Assistant for the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS), says the project is focusing on females in particular, as they are very unlikely to participate in those fields. She attributes this to the traditional view that science and engineering are "masculine."
The project was founded by the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation and managed through a partnership with the Department of Public Instruction and WTSC.
Wisconsin was chosen because of previous state efforts to address disparity in those fields. Foy says this program will allow researchers who specialize in STEM education to analyze previous Wisconsin efforts for success or failure. Educators in the Badger State will also have access to online interaction with counterparts in other states.
