In April 1984, the Bush Foundation Board explored various areas for program development. One area of interest was to develop programs that would give elementary and junior high school children, particularly girls, a clearer idea of career possibilities, and more encouragement to persist in subjects like math and science. At its June 1985 meeting, the Bush Board directed the Bush staff to investigate whether the Foundation should develop a grantmaking program in this area and to review the most promising program possibilities.

The Bush staff researched model programs and interviewed individuals active in the national and regional field. The research showed that women were likely to select a more narrow range of occupations than men, and that these occupations were lower-paying than those selected by men. Research also suggested that women did not pursue a significant number of higher paying careers because these careers require a level of math and science training which many women have not acquired.

In its June 1986 report to the Board, the Bush staff recommended that the Foundation begin seeking proposals from in-school programs and after-school programs, sponsored by non-school organizations that assisted girls in persisting in their study of math and science. The staff also recommended that the Foundation not support research on the general causes of differential performance in math/science by girls and boys due to the amount of work already done in this area. The Board approved this initial approach.

In 1987, the Board approved the first math/science program grants and by 1989, the program was expanded to include an emphasis on minority students based on research findings that indicated minority students faced barriers similar to women in careers that required math and science training. In 1990, the Board approved the first of several grants under this program expansion.

In 1993, the Bush Foundation selected the Center for Research on Women at Wellesley College to evaluate the program. In its 1994 report, the Center concluded that “the Bush Foundation’s support for mathematics and science for girls and minority students has made a difference. The Bush Foundation deserves much of the credit for the progress made within the region. But it is too soon to declare victory; there is more work to be done and the Foundation’s efforts in this area should continue, but with significant modifications.”

The Center recommended three areas to be modified.

1. Increased focus on adult training, with the majority of the adult-training effort going to classroom teachers to target change within classrooms and schools.
    
2. Direct services for American Indian youth on reservations, with an emphasis on gender equality, as well as race/ethnic equality.
    
3. Facilitation of cross-program efforts to encourage girls and students of color in mathematics and science. Suggested activities included networking, sharing of resources, collection of data, and work with state education departments to coordinate efforts within and between states.

The Center also suggested that the Bush Foundation fund a research project to assess the effectiveness of its math and science projects in meeting the program’s goals. No specific action was taken on the report, and funding for Math and Science Programs for Girls and Minorities continued through early 2008.