According to recent surveys women comprise 48 percent of the U.S. workforce but just 24 percent of workers are in STEM fields. This means that half as many women work in the STEM jobs than would be expected. Since numbers are lacking, many people in the STEM fields are trying to figure out ways to bring attention to girls and women that they are welcome in the STEM field.
The solution I came up with to attract more women to the STEM field, was to try and reach them early in life. As girls grow up a lot of them are told that they should look into other fields besides STEM, because they are not smart enough or because the STEM field is more male dominated. I wanted to be able to create an experience that shows young girls that they too can do what women do in STEM everyday, and also see how women of the past helped shape the STEM field when it used to be more Woman dominated.
Learning about Women in Stem
In order to execute the 'Time Travelers' app I had to research a lot on different women in the STEM field. I had to reach as far back in time as I possibly could to the first known woman in STEM who ended up being 'Hypatia'. It was very eye opening to learn about all the amazing things that women have done in the name of science that school doesn't really touch on.
The witte muesum
Scouting out the Witte museum
During spring break I took the opportunity to adventure and travel around the San Antonio and Austin areas to explore the different museums available to the public, but mostly for children. I settled on creating the 'Time Travelers' exhibit for the Witte due to the fact that their general audience is children and families. I felt this was an easy way to attract young girls to come, but also to get their families more involved and interested in the STEM field as well.
The Witte Museum has a lot of great opportunities for the 'Time Travelers' exhibit to interact with their current exhibits. The Witte offers physics exhibits, dinosaur bones, biology experiments, and hands on activities that would allow the 'Time Traveler' app to interact and expand on the experience.
Time Travlers App
This is Mei, she is your expert on women in STEM and will also be your guide throughout your time traveling experience. When it came to designing Mei I wanted to create a girl from our time period that young girls could relate to. Mei is quirky, she is smart, and she's excited for you to learn about the STEM field.
Learning about the women In stem
While traveling through time in the ‘Time Travelers’ exhibit, your smart phone will accompany you as a companion to unlock special features within the exhibit. You will be able to see where you are at exactly in time when you are “traveling in time”. And you will be able to interact with each of the pioneering women in stem. When interacting with the women you will learn about their story, what they did to help pioneer the stem field, and also you will be able to participate in activities that teach you a little bit about the topic from which that women originates in the stem field.
Earning badges & learning skills
As an incentive to get the girls more interested in participating in the mini games and activities to help them learn more about the stem field, the app keeps track of their progress for each subject. As They gain more progress for each subject they are allowed unlock more advanced activities at home on the Time Travelers website. They will also be rewarded with badges that will be displayed on their profiles, and that they can share with their friends.