Programs:
Community
Collaboration
STEM for Her provides funding to a variety of local organizations that have programs which align with our mission and vision. Preference is given to programs with outreach to underserved and/or underprivileged girls who may not have been exposed to the broad variety of opportunities available in STEM fields. In addition to financial support, our Board Members and volunteers actively engage with these organizations, serving as panelists, providing technical expertise, volunteer resources, and program content.
Programs
YWCA National Capital Area – Empower STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) Summer Academy
This five-week immersive summer program is offered free of charge to approximately 130 underserved/low income girls ages 11-17 from DC and Maryland. The camp provides a broad range of hands-on experiences across the STEAM disciplines. In 2019, STEM for Her joined the many local companies and organizations that have partnered with the YWCA to help fund this exceptional program. In addition, we sponsored a day at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History to provide these girls with hands-on experiences and exposure to high school, college, and graduate female students who are pursuing STEM careers. There were also tours of the museum as well as exploration of the Discovery Center
Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) – Women In STEM Policy Program
STEM for Her has supported this PLEN program since 2013. From coding to medical breakthroughs to funding research, women are at the forefront of STEM innovation. The goal of PLEN’s Women in STEM Policy program is to increase the number of women pursuing careers in STEM-related policy fields. Each year, PLEN brings together between 45-50 college women from around the country to DC for a five-day seminar to discuss current issues in the field, build professional skills, and hear from women leaders on the front lines of policy making in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead (GIRL) – Spring Break STEAM Camp for Girls of Color
For the third year, STEM for Her supported the GIRL’s STEAM Camp program. The Camp’s objective is to expose and educate girls of color on possible career paths in STEAM and to provide them with hands-on experience. GIRL is a small, local nonprofit serving underserved youth in Fairfax County, VA. Over the past three years girls in grades 6-8 participated in these spring break camps. This year’s focus was on forensic science where 29 girls learned about deductive reasoning and participated in activities such as fingerprinting, handwriting analysis, soil analysis, and chromatography.
NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing
The National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) is a non-profit community of more than 1,100 universities, companies, non-profits, and government organizations nationwide working to increase girls’ and women’s meaningful participation in computing. The NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC) honors women in grades 9 through 12 who are active and interested in computing and technology and encourages them to pursue their passions. STEM for Her worked with NCWIT to hold a one-day event to honor recipients, hear speakers discuss the future of women in computing, and highlight the Aspirations in Computing program.