The U.S. has a long history of promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, in public education going back to the late 19th century. While there have been major pushes for STEM in education since then, during the space race of the 1950s for example, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that STEM became part of the American vernacular. The early 2000s saw legislation boosting STEM educators, jobs and programs, alongside efforts to encourage more women and girls to pursue STEM and STEM-related occupations. According to the Society of Women Engineers, in 1980, women made up just 5% of architecture and engineering occupations, 20% of chemistry occupations, 26% of computer and mathematical occupations and 33% of biological scientists. In 2023, those numbers were 16.7%, 26.9%, 36% and 55%, respectively. While women have come a long way in STEM fields over the last few decades, there is still room for improvement.