NSF INCLUDES DDLP: Leadership and iSTEAM for Females in Elementary school (LiFE): An Integrated Approach to Increase the Number of Women Pursuing Careers in STEM

LiFE项目是NSF的一个包括设计和开发的启动试点项目，将调查和设计一项合作努力，以对抗男孩"天生"擅长科学和数学的陈规定型期望，这成为一个自我实现的预言，默默地塑造女孩自己对自己能力的看法。LiFE的合作者将从根源上解决这个问题：小学女生的早期学习经历。小学-中学阶段是关键，因为到了8年级，许多女孩已经永远离开了STEM途径。扭转这一趋势的关键是找到有效的方法，将STEM展示为一个合作的、人多的空间，女孩可以在其中共同参与，做自己，并参与探索。研究表明，女孩更喜欢能够改变世界的合作活动。与经济和种族多样化的新泽西小学联盟合作，LiFE将采用"iSTEAM"学习策略，鼓励女孩应用各种学科的工具，在创新，合作和交流的开放环境中调查和解决现实世界的问题。LiFE将建立在一个成功的女孩科学俱乐部（GSC）模式的基础上，该模式采用基于问题/项目的学习策略，向3 - 4年级的女孩介绍动手iSTEAM探索活动。其他活动将利用该项目的企业/政府合作伙伴（包括Apple和USARMY）的专业知识来培养沟通和领导技能。LiFE将通过发展5 - 6年级的俱乐部来维持GSC的利益，包括丰富的内容和长期的独立项目。最终，一个分层的同龄人网络将把从小学到女大学生和女STEM专业人员的女孩联系起来--每一层都指导下面的层。该网络将维持一种至关重要的"社区感"，以留住STEM领域的女性。 在LiFE的社会创新框架方法中，参与地区将根据其社区量身定制GSC，同时也为共同的共同目标而共同努力。LiFE将研究GSC对女孩对STEM的兴趣持续到7年级的影响。根据这项研究，LiFE将开发一个具有成本效益的模板，可以在美国各地复制。LiFE将在小学阶段为所有学术水平的女孩带来基于问题的iSTEAM概念，同时，在非竞争性环境中关注参与者开发的项目，并利用学术资源，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过评估使用的支持基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响评审标准。

The LiFE Project, an NSF INCLUDES Design and Development Launch Pilot, will investigate and design a collaborative effort to counter the stereotypical expectation that boys are "naturally" better at science and math which becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, silently shaping the girls'own perceptions of their ability. LiFE collaborators will address this problem at its source: the early learning experiences of elementary school girls. The elementary-middle school period is critical because by 8th grade, many girls have left the STEM pathway forever. The key to reversing the trend is finding effective ways to showcase STEM as a collaborative, people-rich space in which girls can participate together, be themselves, and engage in exploration. Research indicates that girls prefer collaborative activities that can make a difference in the world. Partnering with a coalition of economically and racially diverse New Jersey elementary schools, LiFE will employ "iSTEAM" learning strategies that encourage girls to apply the tools of various disciplines to investigate and solve real-world problems in an open environment of innovation, collaboration, and communication. This approach promises to be especially effective in engaging girls.LiFE will build on a successful Girls Science Club (GSC) model that introduces girls in grades 3-4 to hands-on iSTEAM exploration activities using Problem/Project-Based Learning strategies. Additional activities will leverage the expertise of the project's corporate/government partners (including Apple and USARMY) to build communication and leadership skills. LiFE will sustain the GSC's benefits by developing clubs for grades 5-6 involving enriched content and long-term independent projects. Eventually, a tiered peer network will link girls from elementary school through women college students and female STEM professionals--each tier mentoring the tiers below. This network will sustain a crucial "sense of community" to retain women in STEM. Within LiFE's social innovation framework approach, participating districts will tailor the GSC to their community while also working together toward shared common goals. LiFE will study the impact of GSCs on persistence of girls' interest in STEM into grade 7. Based on this research, LiFE will develop a cost-effective template that can be replicated across the US. LiFE will bring problem-based iSTEAM concepts to girls of all academic levels in their elementary schools years while, having a community focus with participant-developed projects in a non-competitive environment and leveraging the resources of academic, corporate and government partners to foster broader participation by women in STEM careers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.