STEP UP: A Social Movement to Promote Cultural Change in Physics

From stemteachersnyc.org

Leaders: Jason Sullivan and Mariel Kolker

Most women physics majors report that they became interested in physics careers in high school. A high school physics teacher’s recognition of a young woman as being a “physics person” is a significant predictor for choosing a physics career. Furthermore, most female career physicists also report becoming interested in physics careers in high school. High school may be a critical period, particularly in the US, since physics is delineated as a separate science course at that time and students are getting close to deciding on their majors. Drawing on research evidence, STEP UP is mobilizing thousands of high school physics teachers to reduce barriers and inspire young women to pursue physics degrees in college. Join us to continue the discussion on lesson materials that are research-driven and will help shift deep-seated cultural views about who does physics.