Girl Up, a leadership development initiative, today announced it has partnered with BNY Mellon, a global leader in investment management and investment services, to launch STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) programs and trainings across the United States. With support from BNY Mellon, Girl Up has created a STEM curriculum in partnership with Carnegie Science Center and will hold a series of boot camps focused on inspiring STEM solutions to global social problems. The partnership will also introduce Girl Up’s first-ever semester-long STEM “challenge,” which will aim to ignite a passion to use STEM for social good across Girl Up’s 2,200 Clubs in 103 countries. The partnership programming will expose girls to STEM careers, as well as showcase female STEM role models to encourage girls to foster their interests in applying STEM solutions to real-world issues.
As the first large-scale project Girl Up has undertaken to engage their girl leaders in STEM, the goal of the program is to educate, inspire, and engage girls in STEM for social good. The curriculum will introduce them to and familiarize them with design thinking, scientific method, and problem-solving skills fundamental to STEM fields, and beyond.
“Bolstering STEM-focused education programs for young women lays the foundation for success in their future careers,” said Daisey Holmes, Co-Head of Global Philanthropy at BNY Mellon. “The STEM gap between young men and women happens early on in life. We are immensely proud to partner with Girl Up, whose members are highly motivated young women, during these formative years of their learning and enable them to explore a STEM curriculum. Empowering women through knowledge and opportunity perfectly complements both the missions of BNY Mellon and Girl Up.”
“The gender gap in STEM starts early, with many girls not being encouraged to pursue STEM careers. Girl Up’s partnership with BNY Mellon can help bridge this gap with an innovative approach that connects girls to how STEM can be used to make a difference in the world,” said Girl Up Co-Executive Director Anna Blue.
On July 9, the curriculum will be available in print and online to Girl Up’s Clubs and its network of girl leaders. The series of STEM boot camps will be held in Houston, New York City, Chicago, Orlando, and Pittsburgh throughout the fall of 2018. The boot camps will include talks from local female STEM leaders who will encourage girls to get involved in STEM in their communities. Girls will participate in hands-on skills-based training that provide STEM solutions for issues taking place in their communities.
During the STEM for social good challenge, the girls will utilize the new STEM curriculum, which features 10 activities that girls around the world will be able to participate in with their Clubs. Once completing the activities, girls will submit project proposals that feature STEM solutions that address social issues.
