By now we know that the As a refresher, the mostly white and male space is homogenous, and of the women that work in STEM, 66.02 percent are white, while 14.58 percent per 2019 from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Two organizations have joined forces to tackle this issue from the root. and have joined forces to help St. Louis-area Black girls explore careers in STEM through focused programming and dedicated professional development resources.
“Black Girls Do STEM has served over 250 girls since its founding in 2019, we currently have 121 girls actively enrolled in our Signature STEM Saturday Academy program,” a statement provided to ESSENCE from the organization reads. ” As a result of the hands-on STEM learning designed for specific career pathways, mentoring with Black women in STEM, and our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) content, 100% of our girls report learning about new career fields, increased interest in STEM careers due to exposure, and 4.5/5 for overall engagement and sense of belonging.
” As previously reported by ESSENCE, despite reports saying the contrary, Black girls show great aptitude for STEM-related activities and are curious about building careers in the sector. LitShop and Black Girls Do Stem are aiming to stoke that flame. “LitShop hosted 250 girls and gender-expansive youth in their innovative hands-on workshops and events in 2023 and is slated to host their biggest summer program in 2024,” said Kelli Best-Oliver Founder of LitShop.
“Over 100 youth will gain exposure to and experience with construction careers, architecture, and entrepreneurship while developing confidence, community, and leadership skills through reading, writing, building, and making.”.
