Answer from "Starry Night", a Computer Scientist:
Maybe one good thing to realize is that you don't necessarily have to pursue a PhD in an explicit science field (eg., Parasitology, Astrophysics, etc) if you're interested in science. That all-or-nothing perspective might intimidate young girls who have an interest in science but look nervously down the road at years & years of schooling. Similarly, realizing that you can combine many interests in a job relating to a science field may help. For example, a friend of mine works as a science illustrator. She is formally trained as a graphic artist (bachelors degree in art) but had expressed an interest in science. We have since worked together on two different projects: One was in parasitology- a cd-rom on Lyme Disease and the deer ticks that cause it on which she did the illustrations of ticks, bacteria, etc. The second is an on-going project in x-ray astronomy in which she will help to illustrate such concepts as exploding stars, gamma-ray bursts, and stellar evolution. She is now considering applying for a "science-illustrator specialty" masters art program.

Answer from "Marsh Maven", a Marine Biologist:
I think the best thing to do is make science more interesting for girls. If you can find out why science was interesting to girls in the first place, then you can find ways to keep them interested. Sometimes when things get difficult or we get bored, we forget what it was that made us choose to do it in the first place. It also needs to be interesting, and sometimes you need to be creative to keep it interesting because we all respond to different things.

Answer from "monkeymanager", a Zoo Curator:
I had trouble with math early on, so when I was in college I had problems learning chemistry which was required of biology majors ( I switched to psychology). Maybe we need to spend more individual time with students who are struggling with math, and be careful not to ignore them.

Answer from "Newton", a Ceramics Engineer:
I think programs like Eyes to the Future help girls stay interested in science. Girls can ask the adult mentors any questions they want about what our experiences have been being a female scientist. I hope this helps them feel less intimidated by science.

Answer from "stargirl", an Astronomer:
The opposite of discouragement is ENCOURAGEMENT, and that's what we should do. It's important to have a support system: groups like we have here at Eyes to the Future, so that girls don't feel alone when it comes to science.

Answer from "Leak Lady", a Structural Engineer:
Girls might become more interested in science if they see how it relates to things that they care about. For instance, science isn't just about cars, machines, computers, or other things traditionally thought of as "boy" things. It takes a lot of science to develop make-up, hair dye, new fabrics for clothes, etc.

Thanks to Charlotte from Wilson Middle School for submitting this question!