The University of Virginia – Kathy Neesen 
Researchers from the University of Virginia have found a promising way to pique adolescents’ interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics: their parents. The study, conducted with colleagues from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Chicago, enlisted parents of 10th- and 11th-graders. It found that parents who conveyed the importance of math and science courses to their children in high school made a lasting impact on their interest in STEM fields years down the road. The findings, published in the latest issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are the first to show that a motivational intervention by parents can have important long-term effects on a student’s STEM preparation and career pursuits.(more)