Bridging the gender gap in science and math is an investment in the future. Educators and organizations across the country are making that investment by introducing young girls and young women to fascinating career opportunities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Scroll down on this page to choose which story you would like to hear from the descriptions below or listen to all 12. Never listened online before? Click on the How To Listen Button above.

The Society of Women Engineers reports that in 1999, the most recent year that career figures are available, women made up 10.6% of the engineers working in the United States. Getting more girls and young women to consider careers in engineering is the goal of a program called 'WECAN', Women's Engineers Changing Attitudes Now. The program, funded by the National Science Foundation, encourages girls to pursue math and science, and offers role models and mentors so that girls can see that women have a place in a profession still dominated by men. For more information, please visit: http://www.engr.utexas.edu/wep/

One of the biggest questions of a woman's life is: what do I DO with my life? This story examines how women make that decision - and what it takes to get them to stick with it, especially in non traditional career fields.

The hit Broadway play 'Proof' explores what is perceived to be a rare breed: the female mathematician. This story explores how women having been 'doing the numbers' for centuries. For more information, please visit:
http://www.talkinbroadway.com/world/Proof.html

For a lot of people, math is like a leafy green vegetable; it's good for you, but you'd rather avoid it. The problem is, math is an increasingly important career skill and many fields, everything from biology to computer science require strong math capabilities. Unfortunately many women do not have the math skills needed to achieve success in these fields. But that's starting to change, thanks in part to a few programs that help keep more women in math, including one at Northern Illinois University. For more information, please visit: http://www.clas.niu.edu

African American women are still a rarity in computer science. But there's a good chance that those in the field got their start at a predominantly black college. Researchers are taking a look at why, hoping to find clues to attract more black women to the field.

While the number of women working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is still disproportionate to the number of men in these fields, a number of programs are working to open doors for young women. One program at The University of Maryland School of Engineering, a college in the Northeast, allows young college women to participate with hands-on research projects. What's unique about this program is that the young women are working exclusively with other women as they pursue their studies. For more information, please visit: http://www.engr.umd.edu

The number of women in engineering in the U.S. continues to increase...slowly but surely. But, at the same time, there are fewer women enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs now than in the last few years. That's why programs around the country including WISE Investment’s Saturday Academies at Arizona State University, featured in this story, are trying to introduce middle and high school girls to different fields of engineering. For more information, please visit:
http://www.eas.asu.edu/~wi/girls.htm

Educators in rural communities in the Appalachians are 'moving mountains' to open doors to the sciences for young women. Find out how these innovative and inspiring educators and their programs are going well beyond the standard classroom to bring science to life.

Getting more women into science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers rests largely on the conversations we are having with the girls during their educational development. 51% takes us to a San Jose California children's museum that is helping pave the way for science and math conversations between parents and their daughters. For more information, please visit: http://www.cdm.org

We've looked at a number of different programs throughout this OUT-LOUD series that are aimed at encouraging girls to study science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM) and to pursue STEM careers. Hear how Penn State's Women in Engineering program is exploring the success and impact of these programs well- intentioned efforts. For more information, please visit: http://www.engr.psu.edu/wep/

Statistics show that while women's ranks are increasing in fields like chemistry, mathematics, and life sciences, college physics departments are still overwhelmingly male. Two of our nations top physicists join producer Glenn Busby for a look at why...and what is being done to attract and maintain more women in physics.

Each summer, while other teenagers are hanging by the pool, young girls from some tough urban neighborhoods on Long Island come together to learn about the world around them, and about themselves. In this 'sonic postcard' marine biologist Veronica Kemmler, director of the Green Girls Ecology Camp gave us a tour. For more information, please visit:
http://www.ceriworld.org/news.html