Speaking and presentations to inspire audiences to get women and girls excited about STEM/CTE

Donna Milgram, Executive Director

 

 

"Donna, with great eloquence and intelligence, taught us workable strategies to overcome the obstacles that stand in the way of women's progress in high skill, high wage careers."


~ Claire Rubach, Cabrillo College

Donna Milgram, top expert for closing the gender gap for women and girls

About Donna Milgram:

Donna Milgram, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Women in Trades, Technology and Science (IWITTS), has dedicated her career to helping educators and employers close the gender gap for women and girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) career pathways -- from engineering and computer networking to auto technology to law enforcement. She shares her 25 plus years of research, insight, and experience through innovative, evidence-based professional development trainings and dynamic, informative keynote and conference presentations.

A nationally-recognized expert on women and workforce development issues, Donna has testified before the U.S. Congress and appeared extensively in the news media. Her media appearances include CNN, Fox Morning News, C-Span and The Merrow Report on National Public Radio. She has been quoted in major newspapers such as The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Chicago Tribune. Her Keynote presentations include “Engaging Girls in Engineering Classes and Career Pathways”, Engineering for Kids National Conference; “Closing the Gender Gap in STEM Fields.” Idaho STEM Innovations Conference.

Ms. Milgram's diverse and extensive experience includes serving as Principal Investigator for 5 National Science Foundation grants and as Project Director of a U.S. Department of Labor and a National Institute of Justice grant. She has testified before Congress as an expert on women and workforce development on 3 occasions. Prior to founding IWITTS, she spent a year as Congressional Aide on Capitol Hill and drafted the Women in Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Occupations Act (WANTO). In addition, she is a noted author and an authority on women in law enforcement.

Keynote Topic:

Unlocking the Secrets to Successfully Recruiting and Retaining Women and Girls in STEM/CTE

Although women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers earn nearly a third more than those in non-STEM careers, women are still significantly underrepresented in these fields. There are strategies proven to increase recruitment of female students, and to help women and girls succeed in STEM/CTE programs. So what are highly successful programs doing differently? In this inspiring presentation, rich with original insight and innovative approaches, Donna explains why we haven't yet closed the gender gap for women in STEM and provides proven steps to help us get there.

Donna can discuss customizing her keynote presentation to your needs. Contact Donna

What People Are Saying:

Partial List of Past Speaking and Training Clients:

• CyberSmart Summit: North America’s Only Cybersecurity Skills & Workforce Development (2019)
• Women in Cybersecurity: 24 Hours for Stronger Cybersecurity Roundtable by New America and National Initiative on Cybersecurity Education (NICE) (2018)
• Advisory Committee of the Education Human Resources Division of NSF on "Increasing Participation of Women in the Skilled Technical Workforce" (2017)
• STEMconnector Advisory Meeting on Broadening Participation in STEM Higher Education: Industry's Vital Role, "Increasing Participation of Women in the Skilled Technical Workforce" (2017)
• NSF Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Principal Investigators Conference (2012-2017)
• Panelist on “Equity and Access in STEM Education” at Moving STEM Forward in the Career, Technical and Adult Education Symposium by Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education for 50 top education leaders (2014)
• Panelist, MIT Challenging Technical Privilege Symposium (2014)
• Association of University Women (AAUW) Webinar (2013)
• High Impact Technology Exchange Conference (HI-TEC) (2013)
• Live AAUW Webcast for Release of Research Report (2013)
• Mid-Pacific Information & Communications Technologies (MPICT) (2013)
• STEM Think Tank & Conference (2013)
• U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau and American (2013)
• American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference (2011)
• Women in Engineering Proactive Network (WEPAN) Conference (2011)
• American Association of Community Colleges Annual Conference (2009)
• Congressional Testimony for School-to-Work Opportunities Act: Provided expert testimony on women and girls in technology to the House and Senate Subcommittee (1994)
• Congressional Testimony for Sexual Harassment of Women in Nontraditional Occupations, House Subcommitte (1992)

Key Publications:

Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE),Techniques Magazine, “Intention to Action: Recruiting Women to CTE,”  Nov/Dec 2019.  

International Technology & Engineering Education Association (ITEEA), The Technology and Engineering Teacher Magazine, Cover Article: "How to Recruit Women & Girls to the STEM Classroom," November 2011. (Won Award for this Article at ITEEA’s National Conference)

Download the free special report: How to Recruit Women and Girls to the STEM Classroom

Are you an educator who would like to increase the number of women in your science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classrooms? I'm Donna Milgram, Executive Director of IWITTS, and I wrote this special report to highlight proven practices that will help fill your classes with women.

In this special report, you will discover:

• The top secret to increasing the number of women in your classes
• Examples of successful outreach campaigns and what made them work
• Key messages female students need to hear that will get them interested in your STEM programs
• And much more!

"I've helped thousands of educators like you to increase the number of female students in their technology, engineering, science and trades classes..."

"Because Computer Networking and Information Technology was not on the radar of many women, the tools that were given to us by IWITTS for reaching out to students for our entry level class were very effective. And those changes have been institutionalized in my department. Thanks to our work with IWITTS, female enrollment in my department has risen from 19% to 33%." ~ Pierre Thiry, Principal Investigator, Mid-Pacific ICT Regional Center, San Francisco, CA (ATE Center)

"The most valuable things I received from working with IWITTS were strategies that have been researched and have data to support them. There are also many inexpensive strategies; "inexpensive" is a key term in these difficult economic times. I anticipate additional increased retention in my programs. I have already implemented retention strategies from IWITTS with much success. The workshop has empowered me!" ~ Jessica J. du Maine, Assistant Professor/Program Coordinator, Electrical/Electronic Engineering & Technology, St. Louis Community College, St. Louis, MO

"In our publications and brochures, we're now as likely to use images of women as of men. As a result of working with IWITTS, over two years the percentage of women in targeted classes at CCRI went from 10.8% to 14.3%." ~ Peter Woodberry, PhD, Dean of Business, Science and Technology, Community College of Rhode Island, Newport, RI

Get ready to get female students excited about your STEM programs! This report will get you started with proven, research-based strategies you can implement right away. You're going to love this valuable white paper I've prepared for you!

Warmly,

 

 

Donna Milgram
Executive Director - IWITTS

 

Note: You will also join the IWITTS community and receive the WomenTech Educators Newsletter featuring recruitment and retention strategies. We respect your privacy.