Actress and Best-Selling Author Danica McKellar Visits Prize-Winning Decatur High School Math Class

Actress, mathematician and author Danica McKellar will visit Decatur High School, in Decatur, Ga., on Tuesday, April 19 to visit with an Algebra 3 class of 20 students. The visit is part of McKellar’s involvement in HerWorld^®, a program created by DeVry University in 1998 to provide an opportunity for high school girls to explore fast-growing careers of the 21^st century in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Actress and best-selling author Danica McKellar shows young students relevance and importance of math through support of DeVry University's HerWorld(R) program (Photo: Business Wire)

McKellar, who is known for her roles on "The Wonder Years” and "The West Wing,” has written three bestselling math books, "Math Doesn’t Suck,” "Kiss My Math,” and "Hot X: Algebra Exposed,” which help teen girls to build self-confidence by getting good at math.

Last November, McKellar teamed with DeVry University to support National HerWorld^® Month. High school girls at HerWorld^® events across the country were challenged to work in teams to invent a new way to use an existing product. Following a competitive judging process, Decatur High School near Atlanta was selected as the winning team. For their achievement, McKellar will visit the school.

"Math has a lot of negative stereotypes, but it can actually be fun and incredibly empowering," said McKellar. "Math proficiency is the gateway to a number of incredible careers that students may never have considered. I tell students that even if they don’t like math right now, they can use math as a brain-sharpening tool – a tool that not only builds the foundation for a great career, but that also builds self-confidence, no matter what they choose to do with their lives."

Millions of jobs will become available in STEM related fields by 2018ⁱ, but with U.S. children falling behind in STEM education, the next generation of job candidates will be unprepared and unqualified to take advantage of these career opportunities. Women in particular are more likely than men to say they’re not good at math, and while they currently make up more than half of the American workforce, women hold only 14 percent of engineering positions and 25 percent of mathematics positionsⁱⁱ.

Through educational experiences such as McKellar’s upcoming visit, young women can learn that science, technology, engineering, and math fields are fun while gaining confidence that they can do anything they put their minds to and achieve their full potential.

"There is a pressing need to break down gender barriers in STEM industries, so we are thrilled to be working with Danica in an effort to help young women realize their full potential,” said David J. Pauldine, president of DeVry University. "This and similar educational opportunities are part of DeVry University’s commitment to moving STEM education forward and helping young women realize that no career dream is out of reach.”

About DeVry University

Founded in 1931, DeVry University is one of the largest, private sector universities in North America, with nearly 93,000 students enrolled in the United States and Canada. The university’s mission is to foster student learning through high-quality, career-oriented education integrating technology, business, science and the arts. With more than 90 locations, DeVry University delivers practitioner-oriented undergraduate and graduate degree programs onsite and online that meet the needs of a diverse and geographically dispersed student population. Home to five colleges of study, including Business & Management, Engineering & Information Sciences, Health Sciences, Liberal Arts & Sciences, and Media Arts & Technology, DeVry University’s outstanding faculty members, work in the fields that they teach, providing students with real-world experiences that prepare them for high-growth careers.

DeVry University is institutionally accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, www.ncahlc.org. DeVry University, a part of DeVry Inc. (NYSE: DV), is based in Downers Grove, Ill. For more information about DeVry University, find us on Twitter @DeVryUniv, Facebook /DEVRYUNIVERSITY or visit www.devry.edu.

ⁱ Anthony P. Carneval, Nicole Smith and Jeff Strohl, "Help Wanted. Projection of Jobs and Education Requirements Through 2010,” Center on Education and the Workforce, (2010): 52, http://www9.georgetown.edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/FullReport.pdf.

ⁱⁱ "Women in the Labor Force: A Databook. December 2008,” (2008): US Bureau of Labor Statistics, (2008): 29, http://www.bls.gov/cps/wlf-databook-2008.pdf.

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