There’s a burgeoning trend in education to encourage girls in their pursuits of STEM-related careers, TakePart reports. Science, technology, engineering and math are fields that are typically dominated by men, but one program called WitsOn, is determined to change that, according to the New York Times. WitsOn, (Women in Technology Sharing Online), is described by co-founder Maria Klawe as a massive open online course (MOOC) that pairs professional women scientists with college-aged girls interested in pursuing STEM-related careers. Klawe, the president of Harvey Mudd College, has enlisted the help of some accomplished professional women to serve as mentors, including Microsoft VP Julie Larsen-Green and astronaut Mae Jemison. Since announcing the program, a multitude of major universities have signed on to participate, including MIT, Harvard and Princeton. As Jezebel reports, a key feature that makes the program unique is that WitsOn is void of the strict criteria often associated with mentorship programs, such as minimum GPAs, or aptitude tests. Instead, the program’s main goal is to make as many connections between students and professionals as is possible…
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