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-Editorial
Careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) represent some of the most lucrative professions in the United States. Workers in STEM fields earn an average salary of over $100,000 per year, compared to the national average of $46,000. The U.S. remains the global leader in research and development, but it faces a significant shortfall in its domestic STEM workforce. Roughly 43% of STEM professionals in the U.S. are from abroad, illustrating the ongoing talent gap.
For students of color, girls, and children from low-income families, the barriers to entering these high-paying fields are particularly steep. At this week’s Ethnic Media Services event, experts discussed the systemic challenges and proposed new strategies to engage underrepresented groups in STEM careers.
The STEM fields are expected to grow at a rate twice as fast as other occupations over the next decade, underscoring the urgency of preparing the future workforce. Dr. Louis Freedberg, Interim CEO of EdSource, emphasized that the key challenge is ensuring equal access to STEM education for all students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds.
“STEM careers are expanding, but Black, Latino, and Native American students are still vastly underrepresented,” Freedberg said. “Girls are also disproportionately excluded, especially in fields like engineering, computer science, and mathematics.”
Freedberg also highlighted the importance of early exposure to STEM, referencing Malcolm Gladwell’s “10,000-hour rule” as an indicator of the disparities in access to learning resources. “By the time Bill Gates was 16, he had already spent 10,000 hours in computer labs thanks to his affluent background,” Freedberg noted. “But for students from low-income families, there’s a lack of access to the same resources that would allow them to cultivate these skills at an early age.”
One district that has been actively working to close these gaps is the Compton Unified School District (CUSD). Over the last decade, CUSD has implemented comprehensive STEM programs aimed at reducing the opportunity gap for Black and Latino students. Superintendent Dr. Darin Brawley discussed the district’s journey during the event, emphasizing that their approach can serve as a model for other public school systems.
“We wanted to ensure that students in Compton had the same opportunities as those in wealthier districts,” Brawley said. “That meant integrating coding into the curriculum as early as preschool, offering robotics and game design courses, and creating math academies focused on engineering.”
The district’s efforts have been supported by partnerships with major corporations like Verizon, IBM, and Boeing, which have provided students with access to cutting-edge technology, including 3D printers and virtual reality tools. Through these partnerships, students in Compton are being equipped with the skills needed to succeed in the digital economy.
Despite these achievements, challenges remain. “One of the hardest parts is aligning STEM programs with state educational standards,” Brawley acknowledged. “But we’re committed to finding solutions because our students deserve the best education possible.”
While many schools struggle to engage girls in STEM, nonprofit organizations like Girls Who Code (GWC) are making significant strides in closing the gender gap. Since its founding in 2012, GWC has been working to ensure that girls, especially from underserved communities, have the opportunity to pursue tech careers.
Daniel Voloch, GWC’s Chief Program Officer, highlighted the program’s success during the event. “More than half of our students come from historically underrepresented groups, and they go on to pursue computer science degrees at seven times the national average,” Voloch explained.
Voloch shared the story of Kaesu, a former GWC student who, despite significant personal challenges, is now working as an information security engineer at Bank of America. “Kaesu’s journey is just one example of how providing access to quality STEM education can transform lives,” he said.
Another critical barrier to STEM equity is the presence of implicit bias in classrooms. Dr. Yasemin Copur-Gencturk, an Associate Professor at the University of Southern California, has conducted extensive research on how racial and gender biases affect students’ performance in math, a foundational subject for many STEM careers.
“One of the key stereotypes is that mathematical ability is innate and indicates intelligence,” Dr. Copur-Gencturk explained. “Unfortunately, these stereotypes can disproportionately harm students of color and girls, who are often perceived as less capable in math.”
Her research has shown that while teachers generally evaluate students’ work fairly, they tend to see white male students as having more mathematical potential than students from other demographic groups. This bias can have a long-lasting impact, particularly for students in early math courses, which serve as a gateway to STEM fields.
Dr. Copur-Gencturk emphasized that addressing implicit bias requires more than generic training. “We need discipline-specific approaches to help teachers recognize and combat these biases, especially in mathematics,” she said.
Among the success stories shared at the event was that of Isis Cadena Nuñez, a freshman at UC Santa Cruz majoring in Marine Biology and Environmental Science. Cadena Nuñez, a graduate of Compton Unified School District’s Early College program, has already earned two associate degrees before even starting her university coursework. Her passion for STEM began in high school, where she was encouraged by her teachers to pursue her interest in environmental science.
“I wouldn’t be here without the support I received from my school and teachers,” she shared. “My science teacher, Mr. Rosales, helped me get my scuba certification and opened the door to many opportunities.”
Cadena Nuñez also touched on the importance of representation in STEM. “In Compton, most of my peers were women of color. But now at UC Santa Cruz, it’s different. There aren’t many people who look like me,” she said. “Being a first-generation college student is a huge milestone for me and my family.”
