“See Yourself in STEM” — That’s the theme of the Massachusetts third annual STEM Week, which kicks off Oct. 19. The theme zeroes in on the need to reach out to women of color. Just 4 percent of scientists and engineers in the U.S. are Black or Hispanic women, according to a 2015 report by the National Science Foundation.
For 25 years, the Science Club for Girls has aimed to expose and engage young women of color by providing free experiential science programming in Cambridge. They’ve had great success: 100% of the girls, who mostly come from underrepresented communities, have gone on to college.
In addition to the Science Club, 26 Boston public high school seniors have won the inaugural Paula S. Apsell Scholarship, which is co-sponsored by GBH. These scholarship winners plan to study in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Both efforts hope to empower young women, especially, who still represent a tiny percentage of the 600,000 Massachusetts residents who work in STEM.
Guests:
Christina Exilhomme, Freshman at Northeastern University on the pre-med track, and one of the winners of The Paula S. Apsell | GBH STEM Boston Public School Scholarship.
Kaelyn Brown, Co-director of the Science Club for Girls Harvard Mentor chapter, and senior at Harvard majoring in neuroscience.
Alejandra Carvajal, Science Club for Girls’ Governance Chair on the Board of Directors and Chief Legal Officer for Momenta Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Cambridge.
