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Black Girls in STEM
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Becoming something you’ve never first learned about is nearly impossible. Jamila Lindo picked up on this when she noticed that the young girls she tutored were taken aback that she went to college to be a civil engineer. The group of middle and high schoolers wasn’t exposed to the different careers in STEM. From there, the Norwalk resident chose to take action in enacting change.
The world’s first-ever African American interactive STEM doll is here to enlighten the youth. As AfroTech previously told you, Bukola Somide is the creator of Somi, an interactive doll designed to break down education barriers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for minority children. The software engineer and inventor boasts nearly two decades of experience of working within the information technology sector. According to a press release, Bukola Somide recalls being the only Black woman or Black person serving on the Software Development team in various occasions. Aiming to create a more diverse future, the Somi doll was birthed to demystify STEM and create representation for underserved children. “Representation matters in tech because it gives hope to under-served children who may otherwise think their dreams are impossible due to lack of accessible role models. A child seeing a doll who looks like them, engaged in Computer Science, helps to shatter a mental...
Because Black girls have a passion for all things Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) too! The STEM field has been known to have limited spaces for women, specifically Black women. Now, one organization is making strides to change the narrative. The UC Davis Center for Integrated Computing and STEM Education, better known as C-STEM, has received an amazing gift to allow them to tap into the resources needed to introduce Black girls to engineering and robotics at a younger age. According to UC Davis, a $2.4 million grant from the National Science Foundation will now provide the organization with vital resources needed to equip participants with the skills that they need to excel in STEM throughout their communities, careers, and within their schools. The Ujima Girls in Robotics Leadership Project will be led by C-STEM Director and Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Harry Cheng; assistant professor in the UC Davis School of Education, Faheemah Mustafaa;...
Frito-Lay — the iconic manufacturer of such popular snack chips as Cheetos, Ruffles, and Doritos — has joined the effort for STEM diversity. In a press release announcement, it was revealed that the chip manufacturer is going to sponsor 50 girls to go to Space Camp for the next five years. Additionally, the chip manufacturer also made a donation of $150,000 to establish the “Space for Her” Scholarship fund which will finance the tuition for the camp. An additional bonus provided in the fund is the “Space for Her-os” mentorship program, which will offer coaching and guidance on different career paths in the science and tech sector. Frito-Lay has partnered with the National Urban League and UnidosUS to select Black and LatinX girls for the inaugural Space Camp class. An executive for Frito-Lay said that the ultimate goal with this move is to get more girls — especially more Black and LatinX girls — in the STEM fields. “Getting girls excited about STEM is just one piece of the puzzle....
“I care a lot about preparing things for the future, but at the same time I honor those who’ve come before me and recognize the sacrifices that they made.” KaYesu Machayo, 21, didn’t necessarily set out to pursue a career in STEM, but attributes her interest in the field to those who paved the way like Katherine Johnson — the hidden figure responsible for not only putting an astronaut into orbit around Earth, but helping to put a man on the moon too. Machayo is a daughter of the generation that Johnson made leaps for. As a Girls Who Code, alum, Machayo has an interest in using technology not only for social good, but to also close the gender gap and create things that make the world a more equitable place. Girls Who Code is a national non-profit organization working to close the gender gap in technology by using their programs to educate, equip and inspire girls like Machayo with the computing skills they’ll need to pursue 21st-century opportunities. These are the opportunities that...
Brittany Rhodes — founder of the Black Girl MATHgic movement — is proving that Black girls love math too. According to Black Enterprise, in a partnership with IFundWomen of Color, American Express surprised 100 Black women entrepreneurs with grants of $25,000 along with 100 days of resources as part of the “100 for 100” program. Rhodes decided she would use her proceeds from the grant to continue the movement she designed to equip Black girls — who face math anxiety — with basic math confidence needed to break the stigma. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Math Confidence in a Box (@blackgirlmathgic) This win is huge for Rhodes although she’s been winning grants and pitch contests from the beginning of her math confident initiatives — even winning her first pitch contest back in 2019 when Black Girl MATHgic was just an idea. Fast-forward to now and Rhodes has received close to $50,000 in funding in less than two years solely because of grants and pitches. The $25,000...