When you think of eminent individuals in the field of technology and programming, you might think of names like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerburg, or Alan Turing. Despite men often being in the spotlight in this field, a woman, Ada Lovelace showed the world that a machine could follow a list of instructions in the 1840’s. On punch cards, she created code for the Analytical Machine, one of the first computers, to compute Bernoulli’s numbers. Ada Lovelace pioneered the field of computer science and proved that coding was possible. Continuing on with Lovelace’s legacy, Viewpoint is celebrating its Annual Girl Powered Day in STEM for 4th and 5th grade girls. Viewpoint will host a number of women who will share their experiences in STEM careers this Thursday, November 6th. These types of programs are pivotal for sparking girls’ interest in computer science and encouraging everyone that more women are needed in the technology sector.
The lack of women in these fields is a major detriment to society. All humans use technology products and when only males produce the things that humans use, the products are less tailored for people outside of that group. For example, according to the 2018 study, “Gender Shades,” which studied AI facial recognition failure rates, the error rate for black females was 34% higher than white men. This is a problem because facial recognition data is used by law enforcement in order to perpetuate arrests and search for crime suspects. Facial recognition technology being faulty leads to a higher rate of misarrests and years in prison for innocent people.
Another example of technology that experienced shortcomings due to the lack of female involvement was Uber. The Uber app is a ridesharing platform that initially did not prioritize passenger safety concerns because the male creators did not feel the same threats as female passengers. If more females were involved in its creation, Uber would have better safety measures right off the bat. Having more females in the field of technology makes the products produced safer, more functional, and more balanced for everyone, therefore increasing female participation should be a top priority.
Mrs. Argano-Rush, the head of Viewpoint’s STEM program is also making programming available for everyone. This year’s Girls in STEM theme is “Outer Space – Get out of your comfort zone!” Mrs. Rush hopes that this special after-school event will inspire young girls to participate to be leaders in STEM. She explains that, “This is why programs like Girls in STEM are so important—they create safe spaces where girls can build the confidence to thrive in these fields.” At Viewpoint School, Mrs. Rush says, “The staff introduces students from TK through 5th grade to computer science through hands-on opportunities in our innovation space. We also have a strong and growing robotics program that provides programming opportunities beginning in 6th grade. In Middle and Upper School, all students are required to take computer science courses, ensuring that everyone is exposed to the field. This is crucial, as girls often discover their interest in STEM through different pathways than boys.”
More females in the field of technology isn’t just benefiting females, it’s benefiting all of us no matter who you are. As Mrs. Rush says, “Achieving this balance would reflect true inclusivity and the effectiveness of our initiatives [at Viewpoint School].” Hopefully her perspective on the subject of balance in the field of technology will become a wide reality as we all do our part to educate and spread the word.
Get involved today in this movement, we are calling all 4th and 5th grade Viewpoint girls and parents to come tomorrow to participate. Enjoy the complementary pizza and desserts from 3:30-5:30. If you have any questions please email Mrs. Argano-Rush at [email protected] and don’t miss out on this one of a kind event.
