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GIRLS’ NATURAL ADVANTAGE: COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING AND THE FUTURE OF WORK Marisa Porges, PhD Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01 to our our to , the award-winning film about about film award-winning , the

gumption, it also reveals the unique perspective that these women brought to NASA’s NASA’s to brought perspective women these that unique the reveals it also gumption, shunned largely while collaboration, to effort approach Their moon. the on put a man to ofthe century. girls chattering in the halls about what they would’ve done in the same situation as as situation same the in done would’ve they what about chattering halls the in girls because of their gender and race, was ultimately essential to fulfilling President President fulfilling to essential ultimately was race, and gender their because of local neighborhood theater to watch Hidden watch Figures to theater local neighborhood guide help to equation a new of creation team’s the for force driving the become her Kennedy’s vision and solving one of the most dynamic and complicated problems problems complicated and most the of dynamic one solving and vision Kennedy’s I wasn’t surprised that both our students and the teachers were enamored with the enamored students were our both teachers the that surprised and I wasn’t movie’s depiction of Johnson’s strength and resilience. For the next the I’d week, For catch strength resilience. and Johnson’s depiction of movie’s an . in space. In one of the most pivotal scenes, Katherine Johnson is finally allowed to join join to allowed finally is Johnson Katherine scenes, most the of pivotal one In space. in see we scene, the of end the By Group. Task Space the for meeting a critical planning three African American female mathematicians at NASA who helped put helped at NASA who mathematicians African American female three the astronauts’ capsule back to land during reentry space. outer during from land to back astronauts’the capsule While that scene reinforces the movie’s story of perseverance, hard work, and sheer sheer and work, hard story perseverance, of movie’s the reinforces scene that While

Johnson and her colleagues—and whether they wanted to be a mathematician or or a mathematician be to wanted they whether colleagues—and her and Johnson My entire school was invited was school entire My Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01 -

evaluating their work, erasing it, starting over.” There was no way to find new solutions solutions new find to way no was There it, starting erasing work, their over.” evaluating cians of the Space Task Group, including Katherine Johnson, had to “turn their desks desks “turn to their had Johnson, Katherine including Group, Task Space the of cians one staggeringly complex, scrupulously modeled, endlessly rehearsed, indefatigably problem-solving, too. problem-solving. As Shetterly it, mathemati described scientists,problem-solving. the and engineers, billion and 400,000 people. Instead, it was the massive amounts of coordination and and coordination of amounts massive the it was Instead, 400,000 and people. billion leadership models required to get the job done—all features of effective of features done—all job the get to collaborative required models leadership basis for the popular movie, there were so “many ways to screw the pooch, and just and pooch, the screw to ways so “many were there movie, popular the for basis into a trigonometric war room, poring over equations scrawling ideas on blackboards, blackboards, on ideas scrawling equations over poring room, war a trigonometric into maximizing the input you get from multiple multiple from get you maximizing input the viewpoints a creates advantage. big is key. Collaboration When it comes to solving problems … problems solving to comes it When to intractable technical problems without new systems developing for collaborative teamwork, communication andconflict resolution, adaptability and flexibility, and new tested way to succeed.” One of the biggest hurdles for America’s race to the moon moon the to race America’s for biggesthurdles the of One succeed.” to tested way wasn’t necessarily the technical complexity of the task or a budget that required $20 $20 required that task a budget the complexity or of technical the necessarily wasn’t As author Margot Lee Shetterly noted, in her book of the same title that provided the the provided title that same the of book her in Shetterly Lee As noted, Margot author Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01

described this as balancing subject-specific expertise subject-specific with soft the prepare that balancing as this skills described century skills front and center in the training programs for its astronaut corps, engineers, its for engineers, corps, astronaut programs training the in center and century front skills cosmonauts, and ground teams from our partner agencies all across the globe on an an on globe the across partner all our from agencies teams ground and cosmonauts, program to connect schoolchildren with the International through tailored tailored through Station Space with International the connectto schoolchildren program problem-solve from an early age. early an from problem-solve sent from the International Space Station shortly Station first the Space after all-female completed she International the from sent solving problems, in outer space or on planet Earth, maximizing the input you get from from get you input the Earth, planet maximizing on or space outer in problems, solving schools, teachers, and students. In 2017, the space administration launched a new a new launched administration space the students. and teachers, 2017, In schools, solving,” saying, “Here in space, we use all kinds of skills to get our work done. Math and Mathand done. work our get to skills of kinds all use we space, in “Here saying, solving,” stay we sure making to teamwork—keys and communication but also course, of science, with astronauts, the working are we important tasks. day, Each accomplish and safe space walk in history, Meir explained the importance of what she called “creative problem “creative called importance she the what of explained Meir history, in walk space lessons for different age groups. One of the first modules, called “Expeditionary first called the of One modules, Skills different groups. age for lessons Fast-forward fifty years and you’ll see that today’s NASA has placed these twenty-first- these placed fifty NASA has Fast-forward today’s see that you’ll and years In other words, the focus has shifted. Today and moving forward, one of the most the of one forward, moving and shifted. has focus Today the words, other In multiple viewpoints creates a big advantage. Collaboration is key. is Collaboration advantage. a big creates viewpoints multiple astronauts to tackle the complex challenges they regularly face in space. In a message In space. face in regularly they challenges astronauts tackle complex to the and scientists. , one of the eight members of NASA Astronaut Group 21, 21, NASAAstronaut of members Group eight the of one scientists.and Jessica Meir, incredible diversity of experiments and activities.” In short, the ability to solve problems short, In activities.” diversity and problems experiments ability solve of the to incredible life.” in and space in essential, is teams in important lessons we can give our kids is teaching them how to collaboratively collaboratively to how them teaching is kids important our can give we lessons for Life,” showed parents and teachers how to help children learn that when it comes to to it comes when that learn children help to how teachers and parents showed Life,” for This emphasis even applies to how NASA now frames its education and outreach to to frames its NASA outreach now and how to education applies even emphasis This Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01

emphasize teaching this skill, girls around the world are already showing that they’re they’re that showing already are world the around girls skill, this teaching emphasize decades ahead. But what’s the deal with the gendered aspect critical this with twenty-first-century gendered of the deal the But what’s skill? girls for or men, and women different for look really groups in problem-solving Does By now, I hope you’re convinced that the ability to solve problems effectively problems working ability solve the to that by convinced you’re I hope now, By more help and training to be effective. Indeed, even while schools have yet to really really to yet have schools while effective. be to even training and Indeed, help more better be to at it. predisposed naturally GIRLS’ NATURAL ADVANTAGE NATURAL GIRLS’ and boys? and will become even more essential to success, in and out of the workforce, over the the over workforce, the out of and in success, to essential more even become will and problem-solve from an early age. an early from problem-solve Today and moving forward, one of the of one forward, moving and Today our canwe kids give lessons important most collaboratively to how them is teaching with two or more people to pool knowledge and find creative solutions is important— is solutions creative find and knowledge pool to with people two more or Yes, it does. In fact, it’s often where girls show natural aptitude and where boys need need boys where fact, it In and does. aptitude natural show it’s often girls Yes, where Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01

(OECD) surveyed 125,000 students fifty-two in study The 125,000 surveyed was worldwide. countries (OECD) of group dynamics, ensuring team members acted in accordance with their agreed- with their acted members accordance in team ensuring dynamics, group of considered the area where girls out-perform boys in almost every system. almost out-perform education in girls boys where area the considered performers” at this essential twenty-first-centuryperformers” essential everywhere at this seen was result This skill. where Kingdom, United the and States United the to area, this in boys than points higher significantly better than boys in every country, regardless of economic status when or economic of regardless every better in country, boys significantly than how students tackled problems when the solutions required “maintaining an awareness awareness an “maintaining required solutions the students when how tackled problems size of the gender gap is even larger than for reading, which has traditionally been been traditionally has which reading, for than larger even is gap gender the of size happens in spite of the fact that most schools aren’t actively teaching these skills in in skills these fact the actively of spite in teaching aren’t most that schools happens upon roles, resolving disagreements, and monitoring progress towards a solution.” towards progress monitoring and disagreements, resolving roles, upon In other words, there is something about the approach girls take to communication, communication, to take girls approach the about something is there words, other In normalizing for prior schooling in science, reading and math. On average, they scored scored they On average, math. and reading science, in schooling prior for normalizing rated “top be to boys than likely more times 1.6 were and points 30 higher nearly relationship building, and teamwork that makes them considerably more effective more considerably them makes that teamwork and building, relationship in the girls’ favor. When it came to collaborative problem-solving, girls performed girls problem-solving, it collaborative came When to favor. girls’ the in at collaborating to creatively find solutions when presented with problems. And this And this with problems. presented when solutions find creatively to at collaborating the gender gap was closer to 30 points. What’s more, the study showed that the relative relative the that study the showed points. 30 more, What’s to closer was gap gender the their curriculum. focused on measuring how effectively fifteen-year-olds solve problems when they are are they when effectively how problems solve measuring on focused fifteen-year-olds from Australia and New Zealand to Finland and Sweden, where girls scored over 40 over scored girls where Sweden, and Finland to Zealand New and Australia from working with others. In particular, the team of researchers around the world looked at looked world the around researchers of team the with particular, In others. working A recent investigation by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development Development and Cooperation Economic for Organisation the by investigation A recent The results were in many ways surprising—surprisingly clear, that is. And completely And completely is. that clear, surprising—surprisingly ways many in resultsThe were Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01

ensuring it becomes their lasting advantage no matter where they find themselves. themselves. find they matter no lasting advantage where their it becomes ensuring complicated problems by becoming more team-oriented, the study the suggests team-oriented, that more becoming by problems complicated working.” of ways with modern cope children’s individual problem-solving skills. During that assessment effort, that During skills. OECD problem-solving individual children’s so they recognize the importance of this skill and can effectively and skill importance the this of it adults, as tap into recognize so they researchers likewise identified a gender-based difference in skills—but it under-scored skills—but it difference in under-scored a gender-based identified likewise researchers training effective. be to It’s often where girls show natural aptitude natural aptitude girls show where often It’s and help more need boys where and that boys in general outperformed girls when it came to tackling problems alone. problems outperformed it tackling came to when general girls in boys that Our girls have the advantage at a skill that will become ever more important moving important more moving ever become will that at a skill advantage the have girls Our young— are girls when promote to talent ideal an is collaboration why is This forward. workforces around the world, which have responded to globalization and ever more more ever and globalization to responded have which world, the around workforces young women are naturally “better equipped for the workplace and are more able to to able more are and workplace the “better for naturally are equipped women young Again, good news for our girls. Given changes under way in organizations and and organizations in way under changes Given girls. our for news good Again, These findings also presented a stark a study on focused presented that contrast earlier also an to findings These Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01 especially artificial intelligence and the influence of big-data of analytics, influence the rapidly and has artificial intelligence especially development, we discover guideposts for what lessons today’s school-aged kids need need kids school-aged today’s lessons what guideposts for discover we development, have to consider other megatrends, like globalization, urbanization, and demographic demographic and urbanization, globalization, like megatrends, other consider to have expected next The are decades countries. few undeveloped shifts and developed in like or how the ever-changing job market will unfold, a close look at trends already already trends at look a close unfold, will market job ever-changing the how or like lives will bridge the twenty-first and twenty-second centuries; it will no doubt redefine twenty-first the bridge redefine will doubt no twenty-secondlives it and will centuries; For example, while the fear that robots will dominate every profession is overstated, overstated, is every profession dominate robots will that fear the while example, For underway can give us a glimpse into the decades ahead. And when the study the future And when of ahead. decades the into a glimpse us can give underway most and how to tailor what we do—and how we do it—with girls in mind. in it—with do girls we do—and we how what tailor to most how and a piece of food—are transformed into bits and bytes for production by a 3-D printer, bits transformed a 3-D food—are bytes into of by production and a piece for printer, now. right imagine even can’t we work have will girls our that means also automation and artificial intelligence will no doubt fundamentally alter how many jobs jobs many how alter fundamentally doubt no will artificial and intelligence automation a fancy term digitization, and things of internet the of performed. influence The are accelerated the pace of transformation in the twenty-first century. What’s more, we also also twenty-first the we in transformation of pace the more, What’s accelerated century. innovation on the workforce is particularly is students, workforce the youngest important on our whose for innovation the types of jobs and skills our children will need as adults. Technological innovation, innovation, adults. as Technological need will children our types skills the and jobs of trends is paired with an understanding of girls’ social, emotional, and intellectual intellectual and emotional, social, girls’ of understanding with an paired is trends to see major economic and social changes that influence how we define “work”—both define we how influence that changes social and economic see major to Consider, for example, the effect of rapid technological change and how that influences influences that how and effect the change technological rapid example, of for Consider, for what happens when everyday things—like a car part, an article of clothing, or even a car part, even or article things—like an clothing, everyday of when happens what for what jobs are available, what the workplace looks like when today’s girls are adults, and adults, and are girls today’s when like looks workplace the what available, are jobs what successful. be to required be will skills what what jobs we do and how we do them—in years to come. The impact of technological impact The technological of come. to them—in years do we how and do we jobs what While we can’t say with certainty what the workplace and world of tomorrow will look look will tomorrow withof certainty say can’t world we and While workplace the what Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01

or differences. communicate, collaborate, and self-organize while navigating digital art curator to social media analyst—directly art media reflectdigital social inno- these to of curator influence the created. been yet hasn’t that a job in adultsas work will now elementary right school change. technological of a result as created complex cultural dynamics More and more, navigating the future workforce and the wider world will require require will world wider the and future the workforce navigating more, and More In fact, many of the jobs today’s young professionals are most eager to pursue—from to mosteager are professionals young today’s fact,In jobs the of many numeracy, and related skills one expects from a traditional school. But they must expects But they one school. skills a traditional from related and numeracy, also successfully able to work with others regardless of background. They need the solid literacy, literacy, solid the need They background. of with regardless others work to able impact not just what today’s kids do when they’re adults but also how they do it. do they how adults but also they’re when do kids impact today’s just not what that our girls be comfortable interacting with different cultures and people and be be and comfortable be people interacting girls withand different our cultures that Globalization and the increased interconnectedness that technology allows will also also will allows technology that interconnectedness increased the and Globalization Navigating the future workforce and the and workforce future the Navigating will girls our be that require world wider with different interacting comfortable work to able be and people and cultures background. of regardless with others vations and are jobs that didn’t even exist five years ago. 65 percent of kids entering entering kids of percent 65 ago. exist years five even didn’t that jobs are and vations And the World Economic Forum recently estimated that 133 million new jobs may be be may jobs new million 133 estimated that recently Forum Economic World And the Girls’ Natural Advantage Marisa Porges, PhD 191.01 From What Girls Need by Marisa Porges, published PhD, by Viking an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, defined future. these important twenty-first-century skills is what our girls need fora still-being- a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright by Marisa © 2020 Porges. disciplines, communicating across boundaries, and adapting well in teams. Research Research teams. in well adapting and boundaries, across communicating disciplines, prepared for a world requiring human creativity, coordination, and decision-making decision-making and coordination, creativity, human requiring a world for prepared position them to thrive as this new future unfolds? new this as thrive to them position kids need a new set of twenty-first-century skills. Today’s students to twenty-first-century must set of taught be a new need kids Today’s skills. context,in thinking flexible at abstract and skilled learners reasoning adaptive be shows our girls naturally do all of these things quite well, particularly nurture if we their well, quite things these of all do naturally girls our shows analyze information, deal with uncertainty, and tackle challenges in multidisciplinary multidisciplinary in tackle with challenges uncertainty, and deal information, analyze innate talents from an early age. talents early an from innate that leverages information provided by artificial intelligence. They need the ability the to need They artificial by intelligence. provided information leverages that to be flexible, collaborative problem solvers skilled at drawing connections across connections across at drawing skilled solvers problem collaborative flexible, be to ways, no matter what job they pursue—or invent—when they’re older. And they need need And they older. they’re pursue—or they matter no invent—when job what ways, What does this all of this mean for today’s kids, or more specifically, for our girls? girls? our for specifically, more or kids, today’s for mean this of all this does What can we How come? to is what for them prepare to do to need we things there Are The ability to identify, the support to nurture, and the wherewithal to use To effectively embrace the opportunities that will come over the decades ahead, our our ahead, decades the effectively over come opportunities the will that embrace To Info

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This document was created ABOUT THE AUTHOR on August 5, 2020 and is SHARE THIS based on the best information Marisa Porges, PhD, is the eighth Head of School for available at that time. The Baldwin School, a 130-year-old all-girls school outside Pass along a copy of this manifesto The copyright of this work of Philadelphia renowned for academic excellence and to others. belongs to the author, for preparing girls to be leaders and change-makers. who is solely responsible for Dr. Porges served in the Obama White House; was a G the content. This work is visiting fellow at Harvard Kennedy School and the licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution- Council on Foreign Relations, where her research focused SUBSCRIBE NonCommercial-NoDerivs on worldwide counterterrorism efforts; and served in the Sign up for e-news License. To view a copy to learn when U.S. Navy as one of eight female aviators in an air wing of of this license, visit Creative our latest manifestos about two hundred. She lives in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Commons. Cover art from are available. with her family. G Adobe Stock.