Technology
The event aims to empower Black girls in STEM
Reportedly, lower than 3% of STEM jobs are currently held by black women, although demand for these jobs stays high.
As a renowned engineer, Kara Branch also focuses on helping Black girls find out about STEM and helping them pursue careers in the sphere.
It is estimated that roughly 3.5 million jobs in STEM fields, i.e. science, technology, engineering and arithmetic, need to be filled by 2025. However, lower than 3% of jobs in this sector are currently held by black women. Another statistic that catches the attention to introduce that the vast majority of women working in STEM on the federal level are white (66%) compared to about 15% of black women.
Black girls pursue engineering (BGDE), a nonprofit organization founded and run by Branch, aims to change the image. On March 2, BGDE will host its second annual STEM Day for girls in grades 3 through 12 at Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy in downtown Houston. It aims to attract more girls of color to STEM education and careers through resources, exposure and representation.
About 150 girls aged 8 to 17 registered for this 12 months’s edition, up from 100 last 12 months. The registration deadline is February 28; you will discover details Here. Calling the event the primary of its kind, Branch says it should allow Black girls who’ve never had hands-on exposure to STEM to experience it in a supportive environment. She added that they can be led by Black women majoring in STEM.
Branch founded her organization in 2019 out of concern that Black girls and young women weren’t pursuing STEM careers and wanted to get more Black girls into the sphere.
Headquartered in Houston, certainly one of the biggest black cities in the country, BGDE also has chapters in Los Angeles and New Orleans. It reports that since its founding it has helped 2,220 girls from kindergarten through college and won $44,000 in STEM-related college scholarships for BGDE members.
The event will feature 11 hands-on activities focused on robotics, artificial intelligence and coding, and students can be divided by grade/age level. Student participants can ask panelists questions on their experiences as women of color in STEM.
Branch and two of her students recently appeared on the show national ABC News.
“They can see what STEM means and what a career in STEM is like with professionals who are successful in these booming fields who can share the opportunities,” Branch explained.
Indeed, STEM professions remain among the many jobs in biggest demand. According to this report, STEM jobs pay over $100,000, especially math and computer jobs.
At the identical time, the application-based academic program is entering its fifth season, starting in October 2024 and ending in May 2025. Registration and Applications open in April 2024 for the October national session.
Branch reflected, “From my perspective, I’ve heard from many parents that their girls love science, math, and engineering, but they didn’t have tangible resources to follow that path, so they found them with us.”