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HOME ~ NEWS/EVENTS ~ JUNE 4, 2007


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4, 2007

State Representative Polito Appointed to the Advisory Board of  the Female Leadership Interest Council, Inc.


WESTBOROUGH, MA._ State Representative Karyn Polito (R-Shrewsbury) has always been motivated by public service. In her four terms as state representative for the towns of Shrewsbury and Westborough, Polito has devoted herself to positively affecting the lives of her constituents.  These characteristics make her a natural fit as a member of the Advisory Board for the new Female Leadership Interest Council (FLIC), according to FLIC founder Deborah Penta, CEO of PENTA Communications, Inc.

 

FLIC is a non-profit organization founded on the principles of female leadership, mentoring and the belief that when you can help someone else succeed, you personally grow and prosper. The Council’s mission is to provide educational instruction to women to assist in developing their capabilities in the business world, which will increase the likelihood that their successes will benefit the community.

 

“I have known Karyn for many years, and she exemplifies the energy, spirit and intelligence needed in an advisory capacity to help with FLIC's mission. I am delighted that she has joined our board leadership and that she is committed to empowering women and to working diligently to foster an important link between school-aged girls and female business leaders, to support and advance science, technology, engineering and math,” said Deborah Penta, founder and Chairman of the Board for FLIC.

 

“Karyn also represents the demographic of our membership very well. She is a dynamic leader, business owner, state representative, community representative, devoted wife and mother,” Penta said.” She manages to balance the dynamics of many life tasks very well and serves as an inspiration to our membership.”

 

The 2006 Economic Stimulus Bill gave funding to devise programs that will help industry and education work together to stimulate the work force. Polito is one of 19 members on the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee and is a member of the Robert H. Goddard Council on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), formed to 
advise the Board of Higher Education and the legislature on STEM workforce development programs and policies.

 

“The goals of the STEM Pipeline Fund are to increase the number of Massachusetts students who participate in programs that support careers in fields related to mathematics, science, technology; increase the number of qualified mathematics, technology, engineering and science teachers in the Commonwealth; and improve the mathematics, technology, engineering and science educational offerings available in public and private schools,” Polito said. “I’m concerned that we are not keeping pace with the world economy and the standard of living for Americans will diminish if our graduating students are not prepared with the right skills and knowledge to meet the demands of our changing workforce.”

 

Polito said this emphasis on STEM education is the main goal of the Robert H. Goddard Council, and one that she would like to broaden through her involvement on the advisory board for FLIC.

“Through the Leadership Council that Deborah Penta is assembling, I’d like to re-connect industry and education in a way that will help nurture our students’ interest in math and science related careers,” Polito said. “We do need to create awareness and engage industry by finding out what they need so we don’t lose job opportunities to our world competitors.” 

 

Polito added that while the Education Reform Act of 1993 established a standardized curriculum by mandating MCAS (Massachusetts Curriculum Assessment Tests) along with math and science as requirements for high school graduation, public education is still not keeping up with today’s changing world.

 

“Systemic changes need to be made,’’ she said. “Because the economy is changing so fast, our education system is not keeping pace.  For example, the bio-tech industry in Massachusetts is growing and we should be able to fill jobs in this sector with our own graduates.”

Polito said that in recent years there has been more mentoring of girls in the STEM area, which has historically been lacking.

 

“We are seeing a direct impact, and there are increasing statistics of girls participating in STEM,’’ Polito said. “We need to do more of that.”

 

Polito noted that self-esteem and role model issues have historically played a part in the slow rise of women in the STEM fields. However, with husband and father roles changing over the years, women are now able to have a career, a home life, and a balance between both.

“Women are still lagging behind in equal pay for similar jobs that men hold,” Polito said. “We need to break the glass ceiling and help women in the workforce. These are issues that exist and cannot be overlooked.”

 

Polito said while often times it seems more natural for men to serve as mentors and coaches, that has got to change.

 

“Women need to be more supportive to their female colleagues. I believe there are a lot of professionals looking for community involvement,” she continued. “They can network with school systems and nurture early interest in science and math. Hopefully we’ll be able to create a pilot program in this area that we can model throughout the state.”

 

“As an advisory board member for FLIC, I hope to share with my fellow members what the issues and challenges are in our education system, and invite them to share their thoughts and discuss partnering our school district with industry,” Polito said. “The goal is to identify, nurture and produce top students in science and math. Through that, we can support higher paying jobs and wages and avoid a lower standard of living in our country.”

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