Pull Don’t Push

Why STEM Messaging to Girls Isn't Working and What to Do Instead

By: Julie Newman

Narrated by: Julie Newman

You need to hear the bad news first: the results of STEM outreach to girls haven’t improved in twenty years. The good news? This book will tell you why, and how to fix it. Currently, dated narratives push girls away in fear, and blind spots result in missed opportunities to pull them in. While efforts to increase diversity in science and mathematics have succeeded, outreach has largely ignored engineering—where there is still only one woman for every five men. This is especially troubling because engineering offers vastly more jobs than other STEM fields. Plus, girls are telling us they’re eager for the kind of work engineering offers—yet we fail to help them connect the dots.

As a woman enjoying a career in STEM, author Julie Newman is committed to changing this. With extensive research and actionable steps, Pull Don’t Push clarifies the challenges facing STEM outreach and will help you create a new framework for your efforts. Following the guidelines in this book could literally put a million women into STEM jobs within the next decade. Learn how to stop pushing girls away and instead pull them toward unexplored paths to fulfillment.

©2023 Julie Newman (P)2023 Julie Newman

A compelling and thorough exploration of the opportunities awaiting young girls in STEM

In “Push Don’t Pull” Julie Newman offers a compelling and thorough exploration of the opportunities awaiting young girls in STEM, especially within engineering. Drawing on extensive research and her personal journey, she shares an inspiring message for girls interested in engineering that rewrites the narrative about what engineering is and the opportunities that await those who pursue this path.

For communicators in STEM, or anyone considering an engineering degree, this is a must read. We indeed, need more girls (and boys) in engineering!

But most engineers and STEM communicators are not equipped with the right marketing strategies for how to pull people in with compelling and honest messaging that is proven to be effective and somehow continue to use messaging that is proven to be counterproductive.

Julie adds much needed clarity and a blueprint for communicating opportunities in STEM that is backed by extensive research and her personal experience - a rare combination that is incredibly powerful.

Learn the Secrets of an Inspiring STEM Ambassador

Julie Newman’s Pull Don’t Push is a cheat code for creating and contributing to compelling STEM events that resonate powerfully with girls. I have seen Julie speak many times, and she is phenomenal. It is impossible to walk away from any of her talks without feeling the excitement, wonder and joy she experiences solving puzzles and contributing to missions as an engineer! In this book, she shares, all of her secrets (precisely because they shouldn’t be secret!) for inspiring girls and helping them discover the joys of engineering without accidentally amplifying any fears or misconceptions they may have. The first part of the book is an engaging discussion of why STEM outreach needs to focus more on engineering, how diverse the job opportunities that fall under engineering are, and how to better focus STEM outreach on topics and stories that resonate with girls and fuel their passions. She uses just enough data to fortify her case without disrupting her narrative. But the real gold is in the Appendix. Here she provides tools, guidelines, and templates to help people set up and execute excellent events. This is an amazing resource for anyone who cares about inspiring girls to consider careers in engineering. It’s like having a master mentor at your fingerprints to guide you through the process of recruiting speakers and sponsors, creating engaging events, and explaining your experiences in a way that inspires girls!

Great Insight Into Engineering (1 critique)

This book discusses exactly what my husband and I (both engineers) have felt is vital in driving more people into engineering. This has a great focus and I agree completely on how to target more girls into engineering when reflecting on my experience.

My 1 critique is on the work life balance chapter. Readers might have a misconception that the 9/80 schedule is normal within Engineering (basically a 3 day weekend every other weekend) based on the author’s experience. This is true in specific aerospace companies (and possibly engineering roles within the government), but is not representative of engineering professions as a whole. I’ve worked for 6 different companies spanning different industries and only 2 of the 6 had this option and they were both large aerospace companies. It is a great benefit, but not normal and representative for all engineering professions and for commercial companies.

Great Book!

This is a must read for STEM outreach coordinators. So much bad marketing that is pushing girls away from careers in STEM. This book will tell you how to fix your messaging to be effective!

Great info that's solution oriented

Instead of just explaining a problem, this book provides actionable steps and explanations for why they will work. It made me think differently about STEM recruitment and how I can help. While this book is focused on STEM messaging to girls, I think a lot of the recomendations about presenting engineering would have helped me (a guy) understand my future career choice better.

The book is also easy to listen to and guides you from topic to topic making each solution feel implementable and approachable.