WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) released the following statement applauding the National Science Foundation for awarding the University of Nevada, Las Vegas a grant totaling $399,999 to better engage female secondary education students to pursue the fields of computing and engineering.
“An education in computing and engineering can help to prepare students for a future of success,” said the Senators. “It is critically important that we take action to ensure that women and men have equal access and are inspired to pursue STEM education. We will continue working to support women in STEM.”
BACKGROUND: The NSF grant was awarded to UNLV for the project “Engaging Secondary Female Students in Ubiquitous Intelligence and Computing.” The major objectives of the project are to: 1) enhance secondary female students’ academic self-concepts in computing and engineering fields through a constructivist learning environment; 2) enhance secondary female students’ knowledge, skills, and interests in these fields; 3) increase the number of secondary female students participating in STEM competitions; and 4) investigate the factors that influence female students’ career choices in STEM and Information and Communication Technologies fields.
Last March, Rosen introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Building Blocks of STEM Act, S. 737, alongside Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Deb Fischer (R-NE). The bill would create and expand upon STEM education initiatives at the National Science Foundation (NSF) for young children, including new research grants to increase the participation of girls in computer science. Last December, the Building Blocks of STEM Act was signed into law by the President.
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