It is already a given fact that gender inequality still continue to persist in the field of education. Despite the government's efforts to ensure that all students should have access to high quality education, gender gap remain notable, particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics)-related and CTE (Career and Technical Education) curricula.
Fortunately, artificial intelligence (AI) has been considered as a powerful tool in bridging the gender gap in STEM education. That's why, Stanford has launched a tuition-free AI camp called SAILORS to encourage young girls, as well as "underrepresented minorities" to explore STEM-related fields.
Stanford Artificial Intelligence Outreach Summer (SAILORS)
Initially launched on the summer of 2015, Stanford Artificial Intelligence Outreach Summer aka SAILORS was created by computer science professor Fei-Fei Li and Postdoc (postdoctoral scholar) Olga Russakovsky. This AI camp was created to invite "rising high school sophomore girls from 20 states and three countries" to participate in lectures and to conduct research in the Artificial Intelligence Lab.
"SAILORS is built on the hypothesis that a humanistic mission statement would attract more diverse students," Li said, Stanford Daily quoted. "In turn, their values and perspectives are injected into the technology that will impact our society."
STEM Education Needs Diversity
Aside from bridging the gender gap in STEM education, Stanford's artificial intelligence camp SAILORS also aims to encourage diversity among its staff and students. In fact, women only control less than 25 percent of STEM occupations compared to men.
Furthermore, STEM-educated women are also less likely to land STEM employments than men. The reason? According to U.S. Department of Commerce, STEM fields lack diversity and gender gap is prevalent because of insufficient "female role models," as well as the rampant "gender stereotyping and less family-friendly flexibility."
Artificial Intelligence Camp To Eliminate Gender Gap In STEM Education
With Standord's artificial intelligence camp, however, Li is hoping that young girls will be encourage to engage and explore their interests in STEM-related fields. Aside from the "rigorous lectures and research projects," the AI camp also offers personal growth sessions to ensure the girls that they don't feel out of place but be more comfortable in STEM environments.
"I could express my inner geekiness," SAILORS alumna Rachel Guo said. "I felt completely included because everyone was so understanding, and we've all been in similar situations."
Other Artificial Intelligence-Related Updates
Speaking of artificial intelligence, several scientists have recently attended the Annual International Conference on Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures (BICA 2016) in New York to discuss creating AI based on "biologically inspired cognitive architectures," Phys.org revealed. This simply meant that scientists have proposed to conduct social emotions test for AI.
In addition, artificial intelligence is also believed to play a significant role in international aid distribution. As a matter of fact, Premise CEO and cofounder David Soloff told Devex that AI's potential is "yet to be maximized," noting that predictively technology like Google can help organizations "to distribute aid in a more efficient, accurate and timely manner."
Can artificial intelligence really bridge the gender gap in STEM education? Sound off below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
