A black MIT graduate has created a dance nonprofit for diversity in STEM

A Black MIT graduate is using her love of dance to encourage diverse girls to explore science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Growing up on Long Island, New York, Yamileé Toussaint developed wide-ranging interests beyond STEM. Since her parents studied medicine and engineering, Toussaint’s family encouraged her to dance while pursuing an education. While at MIT, CNN Hero 2024 he even led a dance group.

“It has always been a source of community, perseverance and learning determination,” she told CNN.

However, Toussaint immediately noticed that few black women like her pursued this path. She only saw two of them, including her, studying mechanical engineering at university. The feeling of isolation never left Toussaint, which led her to initiate change in her outside community in New York.

“What struck me most was that I didn’t feel so special, that I should be one of two people,” she explained. “I felt like it should be different and it could be different… I just started thinking about a world where the benefits of dance can lead to the outcomes we are looking for in STEM.”

After becoming a teacher in East Brooklyn in 2008, Toussaint created STEM From Dance 4 years later. This nonprofit organization promotes dance in STEM education more available and exciting for diverse students, especially young black girls.

The program includes school and summer programs that reach dancers who’re less fascinated by math and science. However, the teachings work cohesively, with participants using STEM projects as they choreograph their moves. By learning find out how to create code that may work for the LED strips that illuminate the dance floor, the ladies realize how science can improve their performances.

The program has expanded to nine cities in the US. Toussaint emphasized that the mission goes beyond filling representation gaps in STEM. They also hope to remind young girls that they’ll do things that intimidate them.

“Through dance, we are able to create an atmosphere in which we feel comfortable,” Toussaint said. “With this space, we’re able to introduce something that seems a little intimidating… So when they’re faced with a difficult math problem, they’re reminded, ‘I can do hard things.’”

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, only 14.58% of girls are in STEM identified as Black or African American people in 2019. Toussaint and STEM From Dance, while still underrepresented in the sector, hope to remove this barrier for the following generation.

“I believe that the solution to some of the world’s most pressing problems lies in having these girls in the room because they have a different set of life experiences,” Toussaint said. “They are creative, intellectual, curious, artistic and will bring a different set of ideas to the discussion, so we need to make sure those are included.”

However, hopes for expansion are still alive. Fundraising on GoFundMe to the master these dance enthusiasts and future STEM professionals proceed.

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