Author: idmagazine

Student’s Test to Detect Lyme Disease Embodies School’s STEM Mission for Women   This article was originally published Feb. 10, 2017 in Innovator Insights, a blog interview series at the IPO Education Foundation. For information, visit ipoef.org.   Despite increasing overall numbers of women enrolling in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics programs at U.S. universities, the rate of STEM degrees awarded to women remains low. Women comprise only 25.8 percent of those in STEM occupations, even with some improvement in the biological and biomedical sciences.   The Archer School for Girls in Brentwood, California, and students such as Marin Yamada are on course to help change those figures. “Archer was founded with the specific mission of empowering young women to ascend to leadership in an environment that is fundamentally innovative, collaborative, and progressive,” says Elizabeth English, Head of School at Archer. As part of that, the school encourages “experiential learning,” particularly in STEM fields.   A senior at Archer and a student there for seven years, Marin has benefited from this model that includes computer coding as one of four key language requirements, and exposure to basic concepts of engineering, computer science and hands-on research as early as sixth grade.   She was in eighth grade when she began thinking about inventing. By ninth grade, she was taking an environmental science course typically sought out by seniors.  “It was the first time I...