PBS News Hour
December 29, 2011
Written by Spencer Michels
Steele, author of “Whistling Vivaldi and Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us,” sat down with me to talk about prospects for programs like Techbridge, which enrolls 600 girls in Oakland and nearby cities in two hours of after-school science classes a week. Many of the girls are not high achievers, many are black or Latina, girls some people wouldn’t expect to see giving up their 3 to 5 p.m. slot so they could design catapults or connect electrical circuits. But they’re doing it and the results have been good. They are more aware of job opportunities for women in technology; they see themselves as having a role, and their interest has been piqued.

In the video below, Steele also shares his concerns about the real-world implications for gender stereotypes — including its role in the dropout rate — and some of the other proactive solutions schools and companies can take to counterbalance them.