21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act of 2015

Floor Speech

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Mrs. BEATTY. Mr. Speaker, today, I introduced the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act because I strongly believe that we need more girls and minorities represented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers and professions.

Large segments of our population are underrepresented in those academic and professional areas, which means that our nation is leaving a significant amount of talent on the table--not engaging with or being exposed to tools for tomorrow.

Mr. Speaker, here is the problem.

According to a 2014 National Science Board annual report, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives accounted for only 10 percent of U.S. workers in science and engineering in 2010.

This is a far smaller proportion than their share of the general population, which was 26 percent.
Women are also underrepresented in the science and engineering workforce.

While women represent half of all college-educated workers in the United States, they made up just 28 percent of science and engineering workers in 2010.

These statistics make clear we are ignoring an untapped opportunity to expand STEM employment in the United States, employment which leads to good jobs, steady wages, and the ability to join the middle class.

The development of world-class talent in the STEM fields here at home is critical to America's global leadership.

Supporting women and minorities in STEM is not only an essential part of America's strategy to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world, it is also important to students themselves.

STEM careers offer women and minorities the opportunity to engage in some of the most exciting fields of discovery and technological innovation.

A highly-skilled STEM educated workforce is essential to ensuring the United States' ability to succeed in the 21st century global economy.

By broadening the STEM pipeline to include those who have been historically underrepresented in STEM fields, we will create a larger, more diverse STEM talent pool of problem solvers and inventors.

We can increase the number of girls and underrepresented minorities in the STEM fields by getting these groups interested in STEM early and keeping them engaged.

Students from historically disadvantaged groups such as African Americans and Hispanics, both female and male, are less likely to have access to advanced courses in math and science in high school, which negatively affects their ability to enter and successfully complete STEM majors in college.

That is why I am introducing the 21st Century STEM for Girls and Underrepresented Minorities Act.

This bill would provide funding to local school districts to carry out activities designed to better engage girls and underrepresented minorities in STEM.

This way we can be sure to tap into these vast talent pools of students, while they are young.

Allowable activities under the legislation include improving professional development for teachers and other school personnel, strengthening outreach to parents, providing mentoring and tutoring programs, improving access to afterschool and summer programs that provide additional enrichment opportunities in STEM, and providing academic advice and assistance in high school course selection that encourages girls and underrepresented minorities to take advanced STEM classes.

Diversity is key for the United States to continue to prosper and compete: We must do more to recruit women and underrepresented minorities into the science, technology, engineering and math fields.

Diversity drives innovation, and its absence imperils our creativity and our productivity.

By training our nation's underserved talent in STEM fields, we will ensure that we have the intellectual capital essential to enhance our position as the world's strongest economy, passing American greatness to the next generation.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in this effort my co-sponsoring.

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