Ivanka Trump, Education Secretary DeVos promote STEM careers


              From right, Ivanka Trump, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, John R. "Jack" Dailey, director of the National Air and Space Museum and NASA Astronaut Kay Hire, applaud at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, during an event to celebrate Women's History Month. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
From right, Ivanka Trump, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, John R. "Jack" Dailey, director of the National Air and Space Museum and NASA Astronaut Kay Hire, applaud at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, during an event to celebrate Women's History Month. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ivanka Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos are calling on young girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

They say those fields will provide the jobs of the future.

Trump and DeVos spoke to students at the National Air and Space Museum in the nation's capital on Tuesday. Trump says women make up 48 percent of America's work force but only 24 percent of STEM professionals. Trump is daring the girls to "beat these statistics and advance the role of women in STEM fields."

Astronaut Kay Hire and female researchers at NASA also spoke to the students.

The visit came as the Trump administration proposed further cuts to education and science. Those cuts are drawing criticism from teachers' unions and others.

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