Pro AV’s Future Is Female

This story was originally published by Commercial Integrator magazine, and authored by Erica Carrol.

Companies all over the world are struggling to find employees to fill gaps in the workforce, and pro AV is no exception. Yet women make up only 34% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Additionally, men outnumber women majoring in most STEM fields in college, according to the American Association of University Women. Women are even more underrepresented in the pro AV industry. In fact, AVIXA reported last year that only 11% of the pro AV workforce is female.

So then, how do we attract women to STEM careers and the pro AV industry in particular? One answer is to inspire girls at a young age. According to Brittany Greer, executive director of Rosie Riveters, a non-profit organization focused on empowering girls in STEM, there are points along the journey into a STEM career where there are large numbers of female disengagement.

An often overlooked gap in the STEM pathways occurs long before the major disengagement point we typically see in middle school. While there’s incredible STEM programming available from cradle to career and beyond; our data indicates that girls’ confidence in STEM already drops by 30% between the ages of eight and 11. Rosie Riveters thus aims to bridge this gap by engaging and inspiring girls at this critical stage to set them up for a lifetime of success in STEM.

Why the loss of confidence? Research highlights that girls frequently excel in early elementary academics, often missing opportunities for “productive struggle.” As they transition to middle school, the curriculum is designed to challenge everyone. This change can shake their confidence, as they haven’t been given the opportunities to fail and build trust in their ability to “figure things out.”

That’s why Rosie Riveters provides STEM programs for elementary-aged girls starting as early as four years old before confidence is lost. These hands-on experiences foster a growth mindset, aiming to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields and equip young girls with the skills and confidence to pursue successful careers in technology and innovation.

“Building confidence isn’t just about acing a test; it’s about honing your critical thinking and problem-solving abilities,” says Greer. “When a girl gets a B or C, we want her to think, ‘I may not have all the answers now, but I know I can figure it out.’ The aim is to get her to an A or B, not by stressing perfection, but by empowering her to trust her own skills to get there eventually.”

“If you’re looking to diversify your workforce, the potential is already in your community. The key is to start investing early. “By the time you’re 18, it’s less impactful to learn about college funding and career-training opportunities if you’ve spent your whole life thinking these options weren’t accessible to you. The industry and educational sectors need to work together to ensure local children and families are aware of the resources and career paths available to them,” adds Greer.

Making sure those options are known in our industry is part of the reason we created Rosie Riveters Explores Pro AV. We want to give children the opportunity to experience productive struggles and show them all the cool things you can do in this space. We recently created 500 Rosie Riveters Explores Pro AV STEM kits and are currently fundraising to build 2,000 more for all fourth graders across Aurora County Schools in Colorado.

Web app developed by Mersive. Photo courtesy: Mersive Technologies.

This kit will help kids learn about sound with all the components necessary to build a harmonica, including popsicle sticks and rubber bands that students blow into to create a sound wave. Mersive Technologies, also based in Denver, Colo., created the accompanying web app that will allow students to measure their harmonica’s sound using a virtual sound meter and compete for the loudest classroom on the app’s leaderboard.

Additionally, in each kit, there will be a leave-behind that shows the children many of the possible careers they can attain in pro AV. Shure Inc. also recently donated 30 AONIC 40 headphones to help support the Denver initiative. (You can visit our GoFundMe at AVgives.com if you wish to help meet this goal and find out other ways you can help.)

Of course, the kits are not only for the girls in the school, but for everyone. Girls are at the forefront of the Rosie Riveters initiative, as is the complication about the lack of diversity in the STEM field. But the dialogue is also for those male students who may look around a room and say, “If everybody looks like me in this space, I may not be in the right space.”

We want to show boys and girls that STEM is a career path for everybody.