This project will produce a one-hour general audience television program for Ohio and the surrounding region designed to raise the awareness of the viewing audience to the problemof gender inequity in our sciences, mathematics, engineering and technology workforce. Wewill engage our audience by tracking the root cause of this inequity back into our schools by examining the research done by NSF on women in SMET and exploring the ways that teaching methods can be either a window of opportunity to young women or a closed door.
To maintain the attention of this general TV audience, the problem will be presented as a fast-paced mystery, why are we missing all this human potential in SMET? A top-selling mystery writer, Les Roberts, will host our audience in this investigation and he will be assistedby a young woman of high school age. His special guide in this quest will be Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, the first woman to walk in space. The program will examine NSF-identified researchthat will introduce and examine the problem. We will then explore a variety of efforts by school, community, and businesses to correct this inequity. The program will conclude with suggestions on what the viewing audience - - parents, community members, business, and educators -- can do to channel the future potential of girls into SMET. Once it has been broadcast in this region, The Case of Missing Human Potential will be offered to the national PBS network for national distribution.
An interactive Web site designed to provide further information, suggestions for improving the situation, and links to existing summer camps and programs will be promoted during the show. All participating stations will be encouraged to set up "call-in" sites staffed by local SMET teachers and researchers to address questions from the viewing audience. This special effort will be addressed during pauses in the broadcast and will be designed to help the audience take action as a result of the interest stirred up by this broadcast.
To draw new viewers we will publicize the show on all the PBS stations in Ohio; use the state designated TIMSS Consortia of schools (representing about 500,000 Ohio students) to advertise the importance of this problem to parents and community members and to invite their involvement; highlight the upcoming show through OhioDL one of the primary communications means for schools using distance learning in Ohio; and advertise the problem of gender inequity and the need for family and community action revealed in this TV program via the communication networks of the Ohio Mathematics and Science Coalition.
