[wanabidii] Press Releases: Ambassador Russell Announces New APEC Initiatives to Advance Women and Girls in STEM Fields

You are subscribed to Press Releases for U.S. Department of State. This information has recently been updated, and is now available. Press Releases: Ambassador Russell Announces New APEC Initiatives to Advance Women and Girls in STEM Fields 02/26/2016 03:38 PM EST Ambassador Russell Announces New APEC Initiatives to Advance Women and Girls in STEM Fields Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC February 26, 2016 Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Cathy Russell announced three new U.S. initiatives today at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council Women’s Forum. These new efforts aim to address barriers that prevent women and girls from advancing in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. The first two initiatives Ambassador Russell announced focus on research and policy planning. The public and private sectors have worked for years to advance the status of women and girls in STEM education and careers. The United States will support a regional study to take stock of where the APEC region stands on policies and programs to advance women and girls’ participation and access to STEM education and careers. The study will help APEC economies and the private sector better understand the success of work in this area by highlighting active initiatives and best practices in the APEC region, identifying gaps in regional efforts, and providing policy recommendations on how APEC economies can close these gaps. Those findings will lay the foundation for a two-day regional workshop supported by the United States in August, when government officials and private sector representatives from the APEC region will discuss outcomes of the study, exchange best practices, and plan a policy road map to better engage and empower women and girls in STEM. Ambassador Russell also announced that the United States is sponsoring a two-week science, technology, engineering, arts and design, and math (STEAM) camp for adolescent girls, which will bring together girls from Peru, Mexico, Chile, and the United States. Conducted in Spanish, the camp will give girls hands-on learning experiences, connect them with mentors from a range of fields, and help empower them with the confidence and skills they need to consider higher education and careers in STEAM. Experts and private sector leaders will provide world-class curriculum and cutting-edge technology and participate as teachers and mentors for the campers. Local teachers will also participate, which will help prepare them to sustain the program. The curriculum and program will be made available for other APEC economies to use.‎ For more information on these efforts, please contact SGWI_PA@state.gov. For more information on the State Department’s work on global women’s issues, visit http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/. The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. Stay connected with the State Department:       External links found in this content or on Department of State websites that go to other non-Department websites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.  Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of State. This email was sent to wanabidii@googlegroups.com using GovDelivery, on behalf of: U.S. Department of State · 2201 C Street NW · Washington, DC 20520